diff --git a/lib/krb5/get_host_realm.c b/lib/krb5/get_host_realm.c
index c71b54d94..8c6b3818b 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/get_host_realm.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/get_host_realm.c
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ krb5_get_host_realm(krb5_context context,
     char *res = NULL;
     const char *partial = NULL;
     const krb5_config_binding *l;
+    struct in_addr addr;
+    struct hostent *hostent;
 
     if (host == NULL) {
 	if (gethostname (hostname, sizeof(hostname)))
@@ -71,6 +73,13 @@ krb5_get_host_realm(krb5_context context,
 	host = hostname;
     }
 
+    addr.s_addr = inet_addr(host);
+    hostent = gethostbyname (host);
+    if (hostent == NULL && addr.s_addr != INADDR_NONE)
+	hostent = gethostbyaddr ((const char *)&addr, sizeof(addr), AF_INET);
+    if (hostent != NULL)
+	host = hostent->h_addr;
+
     *realms = malloc(2 * sizeof(char*));
     if (*realms == NULL)
 	return ENOMEM;