diff --git a/include/nsswitch.h b/include/nsswitch.h
index f7131292dd78..2be7a59fd1b9 100644
--- a/include/nsswitch.h
+++ b/include/nsswitch.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 #define	NS_NOTFOUND	(1<<2)		/* source responded 'no such entry' */
 #define	NS_TRYAGAIN	(1<<3)		/* source busy, may respond to retry */
 #define NS_RETURN	(1<<4)		/* stop search, e.g. for ERANGE */
+#define NS_ADDRFAMILY	(1<<5)		/* no addr for fam, getaddrinfo only */
 #define NS_TERMINATE	(NS_SUCCESS|NS_RETURN) /* flags that end search */
 #define	NS_STATUSMASK	0x000000ff	/* bitmask to get the status flags */
 
diff --git a/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c b/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c
index abe4eb17cf72..14729087b82a 100644
--- a/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c
+++ b/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c
@@ -1953,6 +1953,9 @@ explore_fqdn(const struct addrinfo *pai, const char *hostname,
 	case NS_NOTFOUND:
 		error = EAI_NONAME;
 		goto free;
+	case NS_ADDRFAMILY:
+		error = EAI_ADDRFAMILY;
+		goto free;
 	case NS_SUCCESS:
 		error = 0;
 		for (cur = result; cur; cur = cur->ai_next) {
@@ -2341,7 +2344,9 @@ _dns_getaddrinfo(void *rv, void *cb_data, va_list ap)
 	if (res_searchN(hostname, &q, res) < 0) {
 		free(buf);
 		free(buf2);
-		return NS_NOTFOUND;
+		if (res->res_h_errno == NO_DATA)
+			return (NS_ADDRFAMILY);
+		return (NS_NOTFOUND);
 	}
 	/* prefer IPv6 */
 	if (q.next) {
@@ -2363,15 +2368,16 @@ _dns_getaddrinfo(void *rv, void *cb_data, va_list ap)
 	if (sentinel.ai_next == NULL)
 		switch (res->res_h_errno) {
 		case HOST_NOT_FOUND:
+			return (NS_NOTFOUND);
 		case NO_DATA:
-			return NS_NOTFOUND;
+			return (NS_ADDRFAMILY);
 		case TRY_AGAIN:
-			return NS_TRYAGAIN;
+			return (NS_TRYAGAIN);
 		default:
-			return NS_UNAVAIL;
+			return (NS_UNAVAIL);
 		}
 	*((struct addrinfo **)rv) = sentinel.ai_next;
-	return NS_SUCCESS;
+	return (NS_SUCCESS);
 }
 
 static void