diff --git a/utils/gssd/gss_util.h b/utils/gssd/gss_util.h
index aa9f77806075f9ab67a7763a75a010369ba2d1b9..663fb0998bede6144118f890b9311ee8687176e3 100644
--- a/utils/gssd/gss_util.h
+++ b/utils/gssd/gss_util.h
@@ -52,4 +52,6 @@ int gssd_check_mechs(void);
 		gss_krb5_set_allowable_enctypes(min, cred, num, types)
 #endif
 
+extern int avoid_ptr;
+
 #endif /* _GSS_UTIL_H_ */
diff --git a/utils/gssd/gssd.c b/utils/gssd/gssd.c
index 07b1e52e6b84e9bcba96e7a63b0505ca7823482a..cc326dc2a729c1191c9f72ffd32203a58452b793 100644
--- a/utils/gssd/gssd.c
+++ b/utils/gssd/gssd.c
@@ -82,10 +82,19 @@ sig_hup(int signal)
 	return;
 }
 
+static int get_bool_arg(const char *arg)
+{
+	if (strcmp(arg, "on") == 0)
+		return 1;
+	if (strcmp(arg, "off") == 0)
+		return 0;
+	return -1;
+}
+
 static void
 usage(char *progname)
 {
-	fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s [-f] [-l] [-M] [-n] [-v] [-r] [-p pipefsdir] [-k keytab] [-d ccachedir] [-t timeout] [-R preferred realm]\n",
+	fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s [-f] [-l] [-M] [-N on|off] [-n] [-v] [-r] [-p pipefsdir] [-k keytab] [-d ccachedir] [-t timeout] [-R preferred realm]\n",
 		progname);
 	exit(1);
 }
@@ -102,7 +111,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	char *progname;
 
 	memset(ccachesearch, 0, sizeof(ccachesearch));
-	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "fvrlmnMp:k:d:t:R:")) != -1) {
+	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "fvrlmnMp:k:d:t:R:N:")) != -1) {
 		switch (opt) {
 			case 'f':
 				fg = 1;
@@ -150,6 +159,11 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 				errx(1, "Encryption type limits not supported by Kerberos libraries.");
 #endif
 				break;
+			case 'N':
+				avoid_ptr = get_bool_arg(optarg);
+				if (avoid_ptr == -1)
+					errx(1, "Invalid argument for -N option");
+				break;
 			default:
 				usage(argv[0]);
 				break;
diff --git a/utils/gssd/gssd_proc.c b/utils/gssd/gssd_proc.c
index ea01e92e4565670b97dea1a936d2f0dbdc7c4610..21d4e1d78eb54d177626cb0a19b9de4e93e0a20d 100644
--- a/utils/gssd/gssd_proc.c
+++ b/utils/gssd/gssd_proc.c
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <gssapi/gssapi.h>
 #include <netdb.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
 
 #include "gssd.h"
 #include "err_util.h"
@@ -107,6 +108,8 @@ struct pollfd * pollarray;
 
 unsigned long pollsize;  /* the size of pollaray (in pollfd's) */
 
+int avoid_ptr = 0;
+
 /*
  * convert a presentation address string to a sockaddr_storage struct. Returns
  * true on success or false on failure.
@@ -165,12 +168,26 @@ addrstr_to_sockaddr(struct sockaddr *sa, const char *node, const char *port)
  * convert a sockaddr to a hostname
  */
 static char *
-sockaddr_to_hostname(const struct sockaddr *sa, const char *addr)
+get_servername(const char *name, const struct sockaddr *sa, const char *addr)
 {
 	socklen_t		addrlen;
 	int			err;
 	char			*hostname;
 	char			hbuf[NI_MAXHOST];
+	unsigned char		buf[sizeof(struct in6_addr)];
+	int			do_ptr_lookup = 0;
+
+	if (avoid_ptr) {
+		/* try to determine if this is a name, or an IP address.
+		 * If it is an IP fallback to a PTR lookup */
+		if (strchr(name, '.') && inet_pton(AF_INET, name, buf) == 1)
+			do_ptr_lookup = 1; /* IPv4 */
+		else if (strchr(name, ':') && inet_pton(AF_INET6, name, buf) == 1)
+			do_ptr_lookup = 1; /* or IPv6 */
+		if (!do_ptr_lookup) {
+			return strdup(name);
+		}
+	}
 
 	switch (sa->sa_family) {
 	case AF_INET:
@@ -208,7 +225,7 @@ read_service_info(char *info_file_name, char **servicename, char **servername,
 		  struct sockaddr *addr) {
 #define INFOBUFLEN 256
 	char		buf[INFOBUFLEN + 1];
-	static char	dummy[128];
+	static char	server[128];
 	int		nbytes;
 	static char	service[128];
 	static char	address[128];
@@ -236,7 +253,7 @@ read_service_info(char *info_file_name, char **servicename, char **servername,
 		   "service: %127s %15s version %15s\n"
 		   "address: %127s\n"
 		   "protocol: %15s\n",
-		   dummy,
+		   server,
 		   service, program, version,
 		   address,
 		   protoname);
@@ -258,7 +275,7 @@ read_service_info(char *info_file_name, char **servicename, char **servername,
 	if (!addrstr_to_sockaddr(addr, address, port))
 		goto fail;
 
-	*servername = sockaddr_to_hostname(addr, address);
+	*servername = get_servername(server, addr, address);
 	if (*servername == NULL)
 		goto fail;
 
