diff --git a/src/standard.c b/src/standard.c
index fed847777..41c54acfd 100644
--- a/src/standard.c
+++ b/src/standard.c
@@ -808,7 +808,10 @@ struct sockaddr_storage *str2ip2(const char *str, struct sockaddr_storage *sa, i
  *     that the caller will have to free(),
  *   - NULL if there was an explicit address that doesn't require resolution.
  *
- * Hostnames are only resolved if <resolve> is non-null.
+ * Hostnames are only resolved if <resolve> is non-null. Note that if <resolve>
+ * is null, <fqdn> is still honnored so it is possible for the caller to know
+ * whether a resolution failed by setting <resolve> to null and checking if
+ * <fqdn> was filled, indicating the need for a resolution.
  *
  * When a file descriptor is passed, its value is put into the s_addr part of
  * the address when cast to sockaddr_in and the address family is AF_UNSPEC.
@@ -902,7 +905,6 @@ struct sockaddr_storage *str2sa_range(const char *str, int *low, int *high, char
 		memcpy(((struct sockaddr_un *)&ss)->sun_path + prefix_path_len + abstract, str2, adr_len + 1 - abstract);
 	}
 	else { /* IPv4 and IPv6 */
-		int use_fqdn = 0;
 		char *end = str2 + strlen(str2);
 		char *chr;
 
@@ -927,14 +929,6 @@ struct sockaddr_storage *str2sa_range(const char *str, int *low, int *high, char
 			port1 = "";
 		}
 
-		if (str2ip2(str2, &ss, 0) == NULL) {
-			use_fqdn = 1;
-			if (!resolve || str2ip2(str2, &ss, 1) == NULL) {
-				memprintf(err, "invalid address: '%s' in '%s'\n", str2, str);
-				goto out;
-			}
-		}
-
 		if (isdigit((int)(unsigned char)*port1)) {	/* single port or range */
 			port2 = strchr(port1, '-');
 			if (port2)
@@ -957,14 +951,34 @@ struct sockaddr_storage *str2sa_range(const char *str, int *low, int *high, char
 			memprintf(err, "invalid character '%c' in port number '%s' in '%s'\n", *port1, port1, str);
 			goto out;
 		}
-		set_host_port(&ss, porta);
 
-		if (use_fqdn && fqdn) {
-			if (str2 != back)
-				memmove(back, str2, strlen(str2) + 1);
-			*fqdn = back;
-			back = NULL;
+		/* first try to parse the IP without resolving. If it fails, it
+		 * tells us we need to keep a copy of the FQDN to resolve later
+		 * and to enable DNS. In this case we can proceed if <fqdn> is
+		 * set or if resolve is set, otherwise it's an error.
+		 */
+		if (str2ip2(str2, &ss, 0) == NULL) {
+			if (!resolve && fqdn) {
+				/* we'll still want to store the port, so let's
+				 * force it to IPv4 for now.
+				 */
+				memset(&ss, 0, sizeof(ss));
+				ss.ss_family = AF_INET;
+			}
+			else if ((!resolve && !fqdn) ||
+				 (resolve && str2ip2(str2, &ss, 1) == NULL)) {
+				memprintf(err, "invalid address: '%s' in '%s'\n", str2, str);
+				goto out;
+			}
+
+			if (fqdn) {
+				if (str2 != back)
+					memmove(back, str2, strlen(str2) + 1);
+				*fqdn = back;
+				back = NULL;
+			}
 		}
+		set_host_port(&ss, porta);
 	}
 
 	ret = &ss;