diff --git a/lib/dns.js b/lib/dns.js
index bd7789c6fa..fb7a8138c1 100644
--- a/lib/dns.js
+++ b/lib/dns.js
@@ -28,13 +28,14 @@ function errnoException(errorno, syscall) {
   // TODO make this more compatible with ErrnoException from src/node.cc
   // Once all of Node is using this function the ErrnoException from
   // src/node.cc should be removed.
-  var e = new Error(syscall + ' ' + errorno);
 
   // For backwards compatibility. libuv returns ENOENT on NXDOMAIN.
   if (errorno == 'ENOENT') {
     errorno = 'ENOTFOUND';
   }
 
+  var e = new Error(syscall + ' ' + errorno);
+
   e.errno = e.code = errorno;
   e.syscall = syscall;
   return e;
diff --git a/test/internet/test-dns.js b/test/internet/test-dns.js
index a079ec8d44..b781565c30 100644
--- a/test/internet/test-dns.js
+++ b/test/internet/test-dns.js
@@ -308,6 +308,7 @@ TEST(function test_lookup_failure(done) {
     assert.ok(err instanceof Error);
     assert.strictEqual(err.errno, dns.NOTFOUND);
     assert.strictEqual(err.errno, 'ENOTFOUND');
+    assert.ok(!/ENOENT/.test(err.message));
 
     done();
   });