diff --git a/include/proto/server.h b/include/proto/server.h
index 64ae696f0..f2cca94c1 100644
--- a/include/proto/server.h
+++ b/include/proto/server.h
@@ -229,6 +229,21 @@ static inline void srv_adm_set_ready(struct server *s)
 	srv_clr_admin_flag(s, SRV_ADMF_FMAINT);
 }
 
+/* appends an initaddr method to the existing list. Returns 0 on failure. */
+static inline int srv_append_initaddr(unsigned int *list, enum srv_initaddr addr)
+{
+	int shift = 0;
+
+	while (shift + 3 < 32 && (*list >> shift))
+		shift += 3;
+
+	if (shift + 3 > 32)
+		return 0;
+
+	*list |= addr << shift;
+	return 1;
+}
+
 #endif /* _PROTO_SERVER_H */
 
 /*
diff --git a/include/types/server.h b/include/types/server.h
index 57971a2eb..f5aebb11b 100644
--- a/include/types/server.h
+++ b/include/types/server.h
@@ -84,6 +84,20 @@ enum srv_admin {
 	SRV_ADMF_RMAINT    = 0x20,        /* the server is down because of an IP address resolution failure */
 };
 
+/* options for servers' "init-addr" parameter
+ * this parameter may be used to drive HAProxy's behavior when parsing a server
+ * address at start up time.
+ * These values are stored as a list into an integer ordered from first to last
+ * starting with the lowest to highest bits. SRV_IADDR_END (0) is used to
+ * indicate the end of the list. 3 bits are enough to store each value.
+ */
+enum srv_initaddr {
+	SRV_IADDR_END      = 0,           /* end of the list */
+	SRV_IADDR_NONE     = 1,           /* the server won't have any address at start up */
+	SRV_IADDR_LIBC     = 2,           /* address set using the libc DNS resolver */
+	SRV_IADDR_LAST     = 3,           /* we set the IP address found in state-file for this server */
+};
+
 /* server-state-file version */
 #define SRV_STATE_FILE_VERSION 1
 #define SRV_STATE_FILE_VERSION_MIN 1
@@ -231,6 +245,7 @@ struct server {
 	char *lastaddr;				/* the address string provided by the server-state file */
 	struct dns_resolution *resolution;	/* server name resolution */
 	struct dns_options dns_opts;
+	unsigned int init_addr_methods;		/* initial address setting, 3-bit per method, ends at 0, enough to store 10 entries */
 
 #ifdef USE_OPENSSL
 	int use_ssl;				/* ssl enabled */
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index f2e419dae..9da8b27a3 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -1113,6 +1113,8 @@ int parse_server(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, struct proxy *curpr
 			       curproxy->defsrv.dns_opts.pref_net,
 			       sizeof(newsrv->dns_opts.pref_net));
 			newsrv->dns_opts.pref_net_nb = curproxy->defsrv.dns_opts.pref_net_nb;
+			newsrv->init_addr_methods = curproxy->defsrv.init_addr_methods;
+			newsrv->init_addr         = curproxy->defsrv.init_addr;
 
 			cur_arg = 3;
 		} else {
@@ -1161,6 +1163,40 @@ int parse_server(const char *file, int linenum, char **args, struct proxy *curpr
 				newsrv->cklen = strlen(args[cur_arg + 1]);
 				cur_arg += 2;
 			}
+			else if (!strcmp(args[cur_arg], "init-addr")) {
+				char *p, *end;
+				int done;
+
+				newsrv->init_addr_methods = 0;
+				memset(&newsrv->init_addr, 0, sizeof(newsrv->init_addr));
+
+				for (p = args[cur_arg + 1]; *p; p = end) {
+					/* cut on next comma */
+					for (end = p; *end && *end != ','; end++);
+					if (*end)
+						*(end++) = 0;
+
+					if (!strcmp(p, "libc")) {
+						done = srv_append_initaddr(&newsrv->init_addr_methods, SRV_IADDR_LIBC);
+					}
+					else if (!strcmp(p, "last")) {
+						done = srv_append_initaddr(&newsrv->init_addr_methods, SRV_IADDR_LAST);
+					}
+					else {
+						Alert("parsing [%s:%d]: '%s' : unknown init-addr method '%s', supported methods are 'libc', 'last'.\n",
+							file, linenum, args[cur_arg], p);
+						err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
+						goto out;
+					}
+					if (!done) {
+						Alert("parsing [%s:%d]: '%s' : too many init-addr methods when trying to add '%s'\n",
+							file, linenum, args[cur_arg], p);
+						err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
+						goto out;
+					}
+				}
+				cur_arg += 2;
+			}
 			else if (!defsrv && !strcmp(args[cur_arg], "redir")) {
 				newsrv->rdr_pfx = strdup(args[cur_arg + 1]);
 				newsrv->rdr_len = strlen(args[cur_arg + 1]);