diff --git a/src/net/dnsclient_unix.go b/src/net/dnsclient_unix.go
index 17188f0024..736e57322c 100644
--- a/src/net/dnsclient_unix.go
+++ b/src/net/dnsclient_unix.go
@@ -229,7 +229,6 @@ type resolverConfig struct {
 	// time to recheck resolv.conf.
 	ch          chan struct{} // guards lastChecked and modTime
 	lastChecked time.Time     // last time resolv.conf was checked
-	modTime     time.Time     // time of resolv.conf modification
 
 	mu        sync.RWMutex // protects dnsConfig
 	dnsConfig *dnsConfig   // parsed resolv.conf structure used in lookups
@@ -239,16 +238,12 @@ var resolvConf resolverConfig
 
 // init initializes conf and is only called via conf.initOnce.
 func (conf *resolverConfig) init() {
-	// Set dnsConfig, modTime, and lastChecked so we don't parse
+	// Set dnsConfig and lastChecked so we don't parse
 	// resolv.conf twice the first time.
 	conf.dnsConfig = systemConf().resolv
 	if conf.dnsConfig == nil {
 		conf.dnsConfig = dnsReadConfig("/etc/resolv.conf")
 	}
-
-	if fi, err := os.Stat("/etc/resolv.conf"); err == nil {
-		conf.modTime = fi.ModTime()
-	}
 	conf.lastChecked = time.Now()
 
 	// Prepare ch so that only one update of resolverConfig may
@@ -274,17 +269,12 @@ func (conf *resolverConfig) tryUpdate(name string) {
 	}
 	conf.lastChecked = now
 
+	var mtime time.Time
 	if fi, err := os.Stat(name); err == nil {
-		if fi.ModTime().Equal(conf.modTime) {
-			return
-		}
-		conf.modTime = fi.ModTime()
-	} else {
-		// If modTime wasn't set prior, assume nothing has changed.
-		if conf.modTime.IsZero() {
-			return
-		}
-		conf.modTime = time.Time{}
+		mtime = fi.ModTime()
+	}
+	if mtime.Equal(conf.dnsConfig.mtime) {
+		return
 	}
 
 	dnsConf := dnsReadConfig(name)
diff --git a/src/net/dnsconfig_unix.go b/src/net/dnsconfig_unix.go
index 6073fdb6d8..0515ca90de 100644
--- a/src/net/dnsconfig_unix.go
+++ b/src/net/dnsconfig_unix.go
@@ -8,18 +8,21 @@
 
 package net
 
+import "time"
+
 var defaultNS = []string{"127.0.0.1", "::1"}
 
 type dnsConfig struct {
-	servers    []string // servers to use
-	search     []string // suffixes to append to local name
-	ndots      int      // number of dots in name to trigger absolute lookup
-	timeout    int      // seconds before giving up on packet
-	attempts   int      // lost packets before giving up on server
-	rotate     bool     // round robin among servers
-	unknownOpt bool     // anything unknown was encountered
-	lookup     []string // OpenBSD top-level database "lookup" order
-	err        error    // any error that occurs during open of resolv.conf
+	servers    []string  // servers to use
+	search     []string  // suffixes to append to local name
+	ndots      int       // number of dots in name to trigger absolute lookup
+	timeout    int       // seconds before giving up on packet
+	attempts   int       // lost packets before giving up on server
+	rotate     bool      // round robin among servers
+	unknownOpt bool      // anything unknown was encountered
+	lookup     []string  // OpenBSD top-level database "lookup" order
+	err        error     // any error that occurs during open of resolv.conf
+	mtime      time.Time // time of resolv.conf modification
 }
 
 // See resolv.conf(5) on a Linux machine.
@@ -38,6 +41,13 @@ func dnsReadConfig(filename string) *dnsConfig {
 		return conf
 	}
 	defer file.close()
+	if fi, err := file.file.Stat(); err == nil {
+		conf.mtime = fi.ModTime()
+	} else {
+		conf.servers = defaultNS
+		conf.err = err
+		return conf
+	}
 	for line, ok := file.readLine(); ok; line, ok = file.readLine() {
 		if len(line) > 0 && (line[0] == ';' || line[0] == '#') {
 			// comment.
diff --git a/src/net/dnsconfig_unix_test.go b/src/net/dnsconfig_unix_test.go
index c8eed61890..849c0da93b 100644
--- a/src/net/dnsconfig_unix_test.go
+++ b/src/net/dnsconfig_unix_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var dnsReadConfigTests = []struct {
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ func TestDNSReadConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		if conf.err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(conf.err)
 		}
+		conf.mtime = time.Time{}
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(conf, tt.want) {
 			t.Errorf("%s:\ngot: %+v\nwant: %+v", tt.name, conf, tt.want)
 		}