diff --git a/src/pkg/net/dnsclient.go b/src/pkg/net/dnsclient.go
index bea31c3ceb..064e1017bf 100644
--- a/src/pkg/net/dnsclient.go
+++ b/src/pkg/net/dnsclient.go
@@ -268,5 +268,16 @@ func LookupHost(name string) (cname string, addrs []string, err os.Error) {
 			return;
 		}
 	}
+
+	// Last ditch effort: try unsuffixed.
+	rname := name;
+	if !rooted {
+		rname += "."
+	}
+	addrs, err = tryOneName(cfg, rname);
+	if err == nil {
+		cname = rname;
+		return;
+	}
 	return;
 }
diff --git a/src/pkg/net/net_test.go b/src/pkg/net/net_test.go
index 532a62b985..c06a05b3ef 100644
--- a/src/pkg/net/net_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/net/net_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ var dialErrorTests = []DialErrorTest{
 	},
 	DialErrorTest{
 		"tcp", "", "no-such-name:80",
-		`dial tcp no-such-name:80: lookup no-such-name\..*\.( on .*)?: no (.*)`,
+		`dial tcp no-such-name:80: lookup no-such-name\.(.*\.)?( on .*)?: no (.*)`,
 	},
 	DialErrorTest{
 		"tcp", "", "mh/astro/r70:http",