diff --git a/test/test-gethostbyname.c b/test/test-gethostbyname.c
index 41ee766b..570476d3 100644
--- a/test/test-gethostbyname.c
+++ b/test/test-gethostbyname.c
@@ -35,41 +35,35 @@ int bynamecallbacksig;
 int ares_byaddrcallbacks;
 int byaddrcallbacksig;
 
-static uv_buf_t alloc_cb(uv_handle_t* handle, size_t size) {
-  uv_buf_t buf;
-  buf.base = (char*)malloc(size);
-  buf.len = size;
-  return buf;
-}
-
 static void aresbynamecallback( void *arg,
                           int status,
                           int timeouts,
                           struct hostent *hostent) {
-    int * iargs;
-    ASSERT(arg != NULL);
-    iargs = (int*)arg;
-    ASSERT(*iargs == bynamecallbacksig);
-    ASSERT(timeouts == 0);
+  int * iargs;
+  ASSERT(arg != NULL);
+  iargs = (int*)arg;
+  ASSERT(*iargs == bynamecallbacksig);
+  ASSERT(timeouts == 0);
 
-    ares_bynamecallbacks++;
+  printf("aresbynamecallback %d\n", ares_bynamecallbacks++);
 }
 
+
 static void aresbyaddrcallback( void *arg,
                           int status,
                           int timeouts,
                           struct hostent *hostent) {
-    int * iargs;
-    ASSERT(arg != NULL);
-    iargs = (int*)arg;
-    ASSERT(*iargs == byaddrcallbacksig);
-    ASSERT(timeouts == 0);
+  int * iargs;
+  ASSERT(arg != NULL);
+  iargs = (int*)arg;
+  ASSERT(*iargs == byaddrcallbacksig);
+  ASSERT(timeouts == 0);
 
-    ares_byaddrcallbacks++;
+  printf("aresbyaddrcallback %d\n", ares_byaddrcallbacks++);
 }
 
-static void prep_tcploopback()
-{
+
+static void prep_tcploopback() {
   /* for test, use echo server - TCP port TEST_PORT on loopback */
   struct sockaddr_in test_server = uv_ip4_addr("127.0.0.1", 0);
   int rc;
@@ -97,7 +91,7 @@ TEST_IMPL(gethostbyname) {
     return 1;
   }
 
-  uv_init(alloc_cb);
+  uv_init();
 
   printf("Start basic gethostbyname test\n");
   prep_tcploopback();
diff --git a/uv-unix.c b/uv-unix.c
index 60f28964..5e21dfcc 100644
--- a/uv-unix.c
+++ b/uv-unix.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "uv.h"
+#include "uv-common.h"
 
 #include <stddef.h> /* NULL */
 #include <stdio.h> /* printf */
@@ -44,6 +45,18 @@
 
 static uv_err_t last_err;
 
+struct uv_ares_data_s {
+  ares_channel channel;
+  /*
+   * While the channel is active this timer is called once per second to be sure
+   * that we're always calling ares_process. See the warning above the
+   * definition of ares_timeout().
+   */
+  ev_timer timer;
+};
+
+static struct uv_ares_data_s ares_data;
+
 
 void uv__tcp_io(EV_P_ ev_io* watcher, int revents);
 void uv__next(EV_P_ ev_idle* watcher, int revents);
@@ -67,6 +80,30 @@ void uv_flag_set(uv_handle_t* handle, int flag) {
 }
 
 
+/* TODO Share this code with Windows. */
+/* TODO Expose callback to user to handle fatal error like V8 does. */
+static void uv_fatal_error(const int errorno, const char* syscall) {
+  char* buf = NULL;
+  const char* errmsg;
+
+  if (buf) {
+    errmsg = buf;
+  } else {
+    errmsg = "Unknown error";
+  }
+
+  if (syscall) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "\nlibuv fatal error. %s: (%d) %s\n", syscall, errorno,
+        errmsg);
+  } else {
+    fprintf(stderr, "\nlibuv fatal error. (%d) %s\n", errorno, errmsg);
+  }
+
+  *((char*)NULL) = 0xff; /* Force debug break */
+  abort();
+}
+
+
 uv_err_t uv_last_error() {
   return last_err;
 }
@@ -1303,17 +1340,145 @@ int64_t uv_timer_get_repeat(uv_timer_t* timer) {
   return (int64_t)(1000 * timer->timer_watcher.repeat);
 }
 
-/* c-ares integration initialize and terminate */
-int uv_ares_init_options(ares_channel *channelptr,
-                        struct ares_options *options,
-                        int optmask) {
-  int r;
-  r = ares_init_options(channelptr, options, optmask);
-  return r;
+
+/*
+ * This is called once per second by ares_data.timer. It is used to 
+ * constantly callback into c-ares for possibly processing timeouts.
+ */
+static void uv__ares_timeout(EV_P_ struct ev_timer* watcher, int revents) {
+  assert(watcher == &ares_data.timer);
+  assert(revents == EV_TIMER);
+  assert(!uv_ares_handles_empty());
+  ares_process_fd(ares_data.channel, ARES_SOCKET_BAD, ARES_SOCKET_BAD);
 }
 
+
+static void uv__ares_io(EV_P_ struct ev_io* watcher, int revents) {
+  /* Reset the idle timer */
+  ev_timer_again(EV_A_ &ares_data.timer);
+
+  /* Process DNS responses */
+  ares_process_fd(ares_data.channel,
+      revents & EV_READ ? watcher->fd : ARES_SOCKET_BAD,
+      revents & EV_WRITE ? watcher->fd : ARES_SOCKET_BAD);
+}
+
+
+/* Allocates and returns a new uv_ares_task_t */
+static uv_ares_task_t* uv__ares_task_create(int fd) {
+  uv_ares_task_t* h = malloc(sizeof(uv_ares_task_t));
+
+  if (h == NULL) {
+    uv_fatal_error(ENOMEM, "malloc");
+  }
+
+  h->sock = fd;
+
+  ev_io_init(&h->read_watcher, uv__ares_io, fd, EV_READ);
+  ev_io_init(&h->write_watcher, uv__ares_io, fd, EV_WRITE);
+
+  h->read_watcher.data = h;
+  h->write_watcher.data = h;
+}
+
+
+/* Callback from ares when socket operation is started */
+static void uv__ares_sockstate_cb(void* data, ares_socket_t sock,
+    int read, int write) {
+  uv_ares_task_t* h = uv_find_ares_handle(sock);
+
+  if (read || write) {
+    if (!h) {
+      /* New socket */
+
+      /* If this is the first socket then start the timer. */
+      if (!ev_is_active(&ares_data.timer)) {
+        assert(uv_ares_handles_empty());
+        ev_timer_again(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &ares_data.timer);
+      }
+
+      h = uv__ares_task_create(sock);
+      uv_add_ares_handle(h);
+    }
+
+    if (read) {
+      ev_io_start(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &h->read_watcher);
+    } else {
+      ev_io_stop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &h->read_watcher);
+    }
+
+    if (write) {
+      ev_io_start(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &h->write_watcher);
+    } else {
+      ev_io_stop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &h->write_watcher);
+    }
+
+  } else {
+    /*
+     * read == 0 and write == 0 this is c-ares's way of notifying us that
+     * the socket is now closed. We must free the data associated with
+     * socket.
+     */
+    assert(h && "When an ares socket is closed we should have a handle for it");
+
+    ev_io_stop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &h->read_watcher);
+    ev_io_stop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &h->write_watcher);
+
+    uv_remove_ares_handle(h);
+    free(h);
+
+    if (uv_ares_handles_empty()) {
+      ev_timer_stop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &ares_data.timer);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+
+/* c-ares integration initialize and terminate */
+/* TODO: share this with windows? */
+int uv_ares_init_options(ares_channel *channelptr,
+                         struct ares_options *options,
+                         int optmask) {
+  int rc;
+
+  /* only allow single init at a time */
+  if (ares_data.channel != NULL) {
+    uv_err_new_artificial(NULL, UV_EALREADY);
+    return -1;
+  }
+
+  /* set our callback as an option */
+  options->sock_state_cb = uv__ares_sockstate_cb;
+  options->sock_state_cb_data = &ares_data;
+  optmask |= ARES_OPT_SOCK_STATE_CB;
+
+  /* We do the call to ares_init_option for caller. */
+  rc = ares_init_options(channelptr, options, optmask);
+
+  /* if success, save channel */
+  if (rc == ARES_SUCCESS) {
+    ares_data.channel = *channelptr;
+  }
+
+  /*
+   * Initialize the timeout timer. The timer won't be started until the
+   * first socket is opened.
+   */
+  ev_init(&ares_data.timer, uv__ares_timeout);
+  ares_data.timer.repeat = 1.0;
+
+  return rc;
+}
+
+
+/* TODO share this with windows? */
 void uv_ares_destroy(ares_channel channel) {
-  ares_destroy(channel);
+  /* only allow destroy if did init */
+  if (ares_data.channel != NULL) {
+    ev_timer_stop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &ares_data.timer);
+    ares_destroy(channel);
+    ares_data.channel = NULL;
+  }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/uv-unix.h b/uv-unix.h
index 13305abb..f1eb773d 100644
--- a/uv-unix.h
+++ b/uv-unix.h
@@ -102,7 +102,10 @@ typedef struct {
 
 #define UV_ARES_ACTION_PRIVATE_FIELDS /* TODO */
 
-#define UV_ARES_TASK_PRIVATE_FIELDS  /* TODO */
+#define UV_ARES_TASK_PRIVATE_FIELDS \
+  int sock; \
+  ev_io read_watcher; \
+  ev_io write_watcher;
 
 #define UV_GETADDRINFO_PRIVATE_FIELDS /* TODO */