diff --git a/src/net/hosts.go b/src/net/hosts.go
index 577dba9cb9..c4de1b6a97 100644
--- a/src/net/hosts.go
+++ b/src/net/hosts.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-const cacheMaxAge = 5 * time.Minute
+const cacheMaxAge = 5 * time.Second
 
 func parseLiteralIP(addr string) string {
 	var ip IP
@@ -44,47 +44,59 @@ var hosts struct {
 
 	expire time.Time
 	path   string
+	mtime  time.Time
+	size   int64
 }
 
 func readHosts() {
 	now := time.Now()
 	hp := testHookHostsPath
-	if len(hosts.byName) == 0 || now.After(hosts.expire) || hosts.path != hp {
-		hs := make(map[string][]string)
-		is := make(map[string][]string)
-		var file *file
-		if file, _ = open(hp); file == nil {
-			return
-		}
-		for line, ok := file.readLine(); ok; line, ok = file.readLine() {
-			if i := byteIndex(line, '#'); i >= 0 {
-				// Discard comments.
-				line = line[0:i]
-			}
-			f := getFields(line)
-			if len(f) < 2 {
-				continue
-			}
-			addr := parseLiteralIP(f[0])
-			if addr == "" {
-				continue
-			}
-			for i := 1; i < len(f); i++ {
-				name := absDomainName([]byte(f[i]))
-				h := []byte(f[i])
-				lowerASCIIBytes(h)
-				key := absDomainName(h)
-				hs[key] = append(hs[key], addr)
-				is[addr] = append(is[addr], name)
-			}
-		}
-		// Update the data cache.
-		hosts.expire = now.Add(cacheMaxAge)
-		hosts.path = hp
-		hosts.byName = hs
-		hosts.byAddr = is
-		file.close()
+
+	if now.Before(hosts.expire) && hosts.path == hp && len(hosts.byName) > 0 {
+		return
 	}
+	mtime, size, err := stat(hp)
+	if err == nil && hosts.path == hp && hosts.mtime.Equal(mtime) && hosts.size == size {
+		hosts.expire = now.Add(cacheMaxAge)
+		return
+	}
+
+	hs := make(map[string][]string)
+	is := make(map[string][]string)
+	var file *file
+	if file, _ = open(hp); file == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	for line, ok := file.readLine(); ok; line, ok = file.readLine() {
+		if i := byteIndex(line, '#'); i >= 0 {
+			// Discard comments.
+			line = line[0:i]
+		}
+		f := getFields(line)
+		if len(f) < 2 {
+			continue
+		}
+		addr := parseLiteralIP(f[0])
+		if addr == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		for i := 1; i < len(f); i++ {
+			name := absDomainName([]byte(f[i]))
+			h := []byte(f[i])
+			lowerASCIIBytes(h)
+			key := absDomainName(h)
+			hs[key] = append(hs[key], addr)
+			is[addr] = append(is[addr], name)
+		}
+	}
+	// Update the data cache.
+	hosts.expire = now.Add(cacheMaxAge)
+	hosts.path = hp
+	hosts.byName = hs
+	hosts.byAddr = is
+	hosts.mtime = mtime
+	hosts.size = size
+	file.close()
 }
 
 // lookupStaticHost looks up the addresses for the given host from /etc/hosts.
diff --git a/src/net/parse.go b/src/net/parse.go
index 93cdf8d73f..eaaa1edf30 100644
--- a/src/net/parse.go
+++ b/src/net/parse.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ package net
 import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
+	"time"
 	_ "unsafe" // For go:linkname
 )
 
@@ -71,6 +72,14 @@ func open(name string) (*file, error) {
 	return &file{fd, make([]byte, 0, os.Getpagesize()), false}, nil
 }
 
+func stat(name string) (mtime time.Time, size int64, err error) {
+	st, err := os.Stat(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return time.Time{}, 0, err
+	}
+	return st.ModTime(), st.Size(), nil
+}
+
 // byteIndex is strings.IndexByte. It returns the index of the
 // first instance of c in s, or -1 if c is not present in s.
 // strings.IndexByte is implemented in  runtime/asm_$GOARCH.s