diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 58ce834eda..47c8353494 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1355,10 +1355,6 @@ if test "$HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME" != "1"; then
   )
 fi
 
-if test "$HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME" != "1"; then
-  AC_MSG_ERROR([couldn't find libraries for gethostbyname()])
-fi
-
 CURL_CHECK_LIBS_CONNECT
 
 CURL_NETWORK_LIBS=$LIBS
diff --git a/lib/curl_addrinfo.c b/lib/curl_addrinfo.c
index 44e10e9c9a..a08caf3328 100644
--- a/lib/curl_addrinfo.c
+++ b/lib/curl_addrinfo.c
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ Curl_getaddrinfo_ex(const char *nodename,
  *     #define h_addr  h_addr_list[0]
  */
 
+#if !(defined(HAVE_GETADDRINFO) && defined(HAVE_GETADDRINFO_THREADSAFE))
 struct Curl_addrinfo *
 Curl_he2ai(const struct hostent *he, int port)
 {
@@ -350,19 +351,7 @@ Curl_he2ai(const struct hostent *he, int port)
 
   return firstai;
 }
-
-
-struct namebuff {
-  struct hostent hostentry;
-  union {
-    struct in_addr  ina4;
-#ifdef USE_IPV6
-    struct in6_addr ina6;
 #endif
-  } addrentry;
-  char *h_addr_list[2];
-};
-
 
 /*
  * Curl_ip2addr()
@@ -377,71 +366,68 @@ struct Curl_addrinfo *
 Curl_ip2addr(int af, const void *inaddr, const char *hostname, int port)
 {
   struct Curl_addrinfo *ai;
-
-#if defined(__VMS) && \
-    defined(__INITIAL_POINTER_SIZE) && (__INITIAL_POINTER_SIZE == 64)
-#pragma pointer_size save
-#pragma pointer_size short
-#pragma message disable PTRMISMATCH
-#endif
-
-  struct hostent  *h;
-  struct namebuff *buf;
-  char  *addrentry;
-  char  *hoststr;
   size_t addrsize;
+  size_t namelen;
+  struct sockaddr_in *addr;
+#ifdef USE_IPV6
+  struct sockaddr_in6 *addr6;
+#endif
 
   DEBUGASSERT(inaddr && hostname);
 
-  buf = malloc(sizeof(struct namebuff));
-  if(!buf)
+  namelen = strlen(hostname) + 1;
+
+  if(af == AF_INET)
+    addrsize = sizeof(struct sockaddr_in);
+#ifdef USE_IPV6
+  else if(af == AF_INET6)
+    addrsize = sizeof(struct sockaddr_in6);
+#endif
+  else
     return NULL;
 
-  hoststr = strdup(hostname);
-  if(!hoststr) {
-    free(buf);
+  /* allocate memory to hold the struct, the address and the name */
+  ai = calloc(1, sizeof(struct Curl_addrinfo) + addrsize + namelen);
+  if(!ai)
     return NULL;
-  }
+  /* put the address after the struct */
+  ai->ai_addr = (void *)((char *)ai + sizeof(struct Curl_addrinfo));
+  /* then put the name after the address */
+  ai->ai_canonname = (char *)ai->ai_addr + addrsize;
+  memcpy(ai->ai_canonname, hostname, namelen);
+  ai->ai_family = af;
+  ai->ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;
+  ai->ai_addrlen = (curl_socklen_t)addrsize;
+  /* leave the rest of the struct filled with zero */
 
   switch(af) {
   case AF_INET:
-    addrsize = sizeof(struct in_addr);
-    addrentry = (void *)&buf->addrentry.ina4;
-    memcpy(addrentry, inaddr, sizeof(struct in_addr));
+    addr = (void *)ai->ai_addr; /* storage area for this info */
+
+    memcpy(&addr->sin_addr, inaddr, sizeof(struct in_addr));
+#ifdef __MINGW32__
+    addr->sin_family = (short)af;
+#else
+    addr->sin_family = (CURL_SA_FAMILY_T)af;
+#endif
+    addr->sin_port = htons((unsigned short)port);
     break;
+
 #ifdef USE_IPV6
   case AF_INET6:
-    addrsize = sizeof(struct in6_addr);
-    addrentry = (void *)&buf->addrentry.ina6;
-    memcpy(addrentry, inaddr, sizeof(struct in6_addr));
+    addr6 = (void *)ai->ai_addr; /* storage area for this info */
+
+    memcpy(&addr6->sin6_addr, inaddr, sizeof(struct in6_addr));
+#ifdef __MINGW32__
+    addr6->sin6_family = (short)af;
+#else
+    addr6->sin6_family = (CURL_SA_FAMILY_T)af;
+#endif
+    addr6->sin6_port = htons((unsigned short)port);
     break;
 #endif
-  default:
-    free(hoststr);
-    free(buf);
-    return NULL;
   }
 
-  h = &buf->hostentry;
-  h->h_name = hoststr;
-  h->h_aliases = NULL;
-  h->h_addrtype = (short)af;
-  h->h_length = (short)addrsize;
-  h->h_addr_list = &buf->h_addr_list[0];
-  h->h_addr_list[0] = addrentry;
-  h->h_addr_list[1] = NULL; /* terminate list of entries */
-
-#if defined(__VMS) && \
-    defined(__INITIAL_POINTER_SIZE) && (__INITIAL_POINTER_SIZE == 64)
-#pragma pointer_size restore
-#pragma message enable PTRMISMATCH
-#endif
-
-  ai = Curl_he2ai(h, port);
-
-  free(hoststr);
-  free(buf);
-
   return ai;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/curl_addrinfo.h b/lib/curl_addrinfo.h
index 9ceac997da..2303e95e31 100644
--- a/lib/curl_addrinfo.h
+++ b/lib/curl_addrinfo.h
@@ -71,8 +71,10 @@ Curl_getaddrinfo_ex(const char *nodename,
                     struct Curl_addrinfo **result);
 #endif
 
+#if !(defined(HAVE_GETADDRINFO) && defined(HAVE_GETADDRINFO_THREADSAFE))
 struct Curl_addrinfo *
 Curl_he2ai(const struct hostent *he, int port);
+#endif
 
 struct Curl_addrinfo *
 Curl_ip2addr(int af, const void *inaddr, const char *hostname, int port);
diff --git a/lib/hostip4.c b/lib/hostip4.c
index 3bfea48d4f..58333fbc60 100644
--- a/lib/hostip4.c
+++ b/lib/hostip4.c
@@ -126,8 +126,10 @@ struct Curl_addrinfo *Curl_ipv4_resolve_r(const char *hostname,
   int res;
 #endif
   struct Curl_addrinfo *ai = NULL;
+#if !(defined(HAVE_GETADDRINFO) && defined(HAVE_GETADDRINFO_THREADSAFE))
   struct hostent *h = NULL;
   struct hostent *buf = NULL;
+#endif
 
 #if defined(HAVE_GETADDRINFO) && defined(HAVE_GETADDRINFO_THREADSAFE)
   struct addrinfo hints;
@@ -288,12 +290,14 @@ struct Curl_addrinfo *Curl_ipv4_resolve_r(const char *hostname,
 #endif /* (HAVE_GETADDRINFO && HAVE_GETADDRINFO_THREADSAFE) ||
            HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME_R */
 
+#if !(defined(HAVE_GETADDRINFO) && defined(HAVE_GETADDRINFO_THREADSAFE))
   if(h) {
     ai = Curl_he2ai(h, port);
 
     if(buf) /* used a *_r() function */
       free(buf);
   }
+#endif
 
   return ai;
 }
diff --git a/m4/curl-functions.m4 b/m4/curl-functions.m4
index 93d00dd2f2..356c6651e5 100644
--- a/m4/curl-functions.m4
+++ b/m4/curl-functions.m4
@@ -1484,52 +1484,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([CURL_CHECK_FUNC_GETADDRINFO], [
       tst_tsafe_getaddrinfo="yes"
     fi
     if test "$tst_tsafe_getaddrinfo" = "unknown"; then
-      CURL_CHECK_DEF_CC([h_errno], [
-        $curl_includes_sys_socket
-        $curl_includes_netdb
-        ], [silent])
-      if test "$curl_cv_have_def_h_errno" = "yes"; then
-        tst_h_errno_macro="yes"
-      else
-        tst_h_errno_macro="no"
-      fi
-      AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([
-        AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
-          $curl_includes_sys_socket
-          $curl_includes_netdb
-        ]],[[
-          h_errno = 2;
-          if(0 != h_errno)
-            return 1;
-        ]])
-      ],[
-        tst_h_errno_modifiable_lvalue="yes"
-      ],[
-        tst_h_errno_modifiable_lvalue="no"
-      ])
-      AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([
-        AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
-        ]],[[
-          #if defined(_POSIX_C_SOURCE) && (_POSIX_C_SOURCE >= 200809L)
-            return 0;
-          #elif defined(_XOPEN_SOURCE) && (_XOPEN_SOURCE >= 700)
-            return 0;
-          #else
-            #error force compilation error
-          #endif
-        ]])
-      ],[
-        tst_h_errno_sbs_issue_7="yes"
-      ],[
-        tst_h_errno_sbs_issue_7="no"
-      ])
-      if test "$tst_h_errno_macro" = "no" &&
-         test "$tst_h_errno_modifiable_lvalue" = "no" &&
-         test "$tst_h_errno_sbs_issue_7" = "no"; then
-        tst_tsafe_getaddrinfo="no"
-      else
-        tst_tsafe_getaddrinfo="yes"
-      fi
+      tst_tsafe_getaddrinfo="yes"
     fi
     AC_MSG_RESULT([$tst_tsafe_getaddrinfo])
     if test "$tst_tsafe_getaddrinfo" = "yes"; then