diff --git a/lib/easy.c b/lib/easy.c
index 991a25573..b8af38038 100644
--- a/lib/easy.c
+++ b/lib/easy.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  *                            | (__| |_| |  _ <| |___
  *                             \___|\___/|_| \_\_____|
  *
- * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2007, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
+ * Copyright (C) 1998 - 2008, Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
  *
  * This software is licensed as described in the file COPYING, which
  * you should have received as part of this distribution. The terms
@@ -466,13 +466,23 @@ CURLcode curl_easy_perform(CURL *curl)
     return CURLE_BAD_FUNCTION_ARGUMENT;
 
   if( ! (data->share && data->share->hostcache) ) {
+    /* this handle is not using a shared dns cache */
+
+    if(data->set.global_dns_cache &&
+       (data->dns.hostcachetype != HCACHE_GLOBAL)) {
+      /* global dns cache was requested but still isn't */
+      struct curl_hash *ptr;
 
-    if(Curl_global_host_cache_use(data) &&
-        (data->dns.hostcachetype != HCACHE_GLOBAL)) {
       if(data->dns.hostcachetype == HCACHE_PRIVATE)
+        /* if the current cache is private, kill it first */
         Curl_hash_destroy(data->dns.hostcache);
-      data->dns.hostcache = Curl_global_host_cache_get();
-      data->dns.hostcachetype = HCACHE_GLOBAL;
+
+      ptr = Curl_global_host_cache_init();
+      if(ptr) {
+        /* only do this if the global cache init works */
+        data->dns.hostcache = ptr;
+        data->dns.hostcachetype = HCACHE_GLOBAL;
+      }
     }
 
     if(!data->dns.hostcache) {
diff --git a/lib/hostip.c b/lib/hostip.c
index aa5ec1e00..0778fc222 100644
--- a/lib/hostip.c
+++ b/lib/hostip.c
@@ -128,9 +128,9 @@ static void freednsentry(void *freethis);
  * Global DNS cache is general badness. Do not use. This will be removed in
  * a future version. Use the share interface instead!
  *
- * Returns 0 on success, 1 on failure.
+ * Returns a struct curl_hash pointer on success, NULL on failure.
  */
-int Curl_global_host_cache_init(void)
+struct curl_hash *Curl_global_host_cache_init(void)
 {
   int rc = 0;
   if(!host_cache_initialized) {
@@ -139,15 +139,7 @@ int Curl_global_host_cache_init(void)
     if(!rc)
       host_cache_initialized = 1;
   }
-  return rc;
-}
-
-/*
- * Return a pointer to the global cache
- */
-struct curl_hash *Curl_global_host_cache_get(void)
-{
-  return &hostname_cache;
+  return rc?NULL:&hostname_cache;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/lib/hostip.h b/lib/hostip.h
index a7e0988a2..66d1771a3 100644
--- a/lib/hostip.h
+++ b/lib/hostip.h
@@ -130,14 +130,10 @@ struct connectdata;
  * Global DNS cache is general badness. Do not use. This will be removed in
  * a future version. Use the share interface instead!
  *
- * Returns 0 on success, 1 on failure.
+ * Returns a struct curl_hash pointer on success, NULL on failure.
  */
-int Curl_global_host_cache_init(void);
+struct curl_hash *Curl_global_host_cache_init(void);
 void Curl_global_host_cache_dtor(void);
-struct curl_hash *Curl_global_host_cache_get(void);
-
-#define Curl_global_host_cache_use(__p) \
-  ((__p)->dns.hostcachetype == HCACHE_GLOBAL)
 
 struct Curl_dns_entry {
   Curl_addrinfo *addr;
diff --git a/lib/url.c b/lib/url.c
index 94c363fc2..83ebcfefa 100644
--- a/lib/url.c
+++ b/lib/url.c
@@ -778,14 +778,9 @@ CURLcode Curl_setopt(struct SessionHandle *data, CURLoption option,
     break;
   case CURLOPT_DNS_USE_GLOBAL_CACHE:
     {
+      /* remember we want this enabled */
       long use_cache = va_arg(param, long);
-      if(use_cache) {
-        Curl_global_host_cache_init();
-        data->dns.hostcachetype = HCACHE_GLOBAL;
-      }
-      else
-        /* not global makes it private by default then */
-        data->dns.hostcachetype = HCACHE_PRIVATE;
+      data->set.global_dns_cache = (bool)(0 != use_cache);
     }
     break;
   case CURLOPT_SSL_CIPHER_LIST:
diff --git a/lib/urldata.h b/lib/urldata.h
index f3ca2f80d..e9e4fb872 100644
--- a/lib/urldata.h
+++ b/lib/urldata.h
@@ -1443,6 +1443,7 @@ struct UserDefined {
   curl_ftpauth ftpsslauth; /* what AUTH XXX to be attempted */
   curl_ftpccc ftp_ccc;   /* FTP CCC options */
   bool no_signal;        /* do not use any signal/alarm handler */
+  bool global_dns_cache; /* subject for future removal */
   bool tcp_nodelay;      /* whether to enable TCP_NODELAY or not */
   bool ignorecl;         /* ignore content length */
   bool ftp_skip_ip;      /* skip the IP address the FTP server passes on to