diff --git a/lib/dns_cares.js b/lib/dns_cares.js
index f51702b440..fbb10d3fb2 100644
--- a/lib/dns_cares.js
+++ b/lib/dns_cares.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 var dns = process.binding('cares');
+var sys = require('sys'); // TODO remove me
 
 
 var watchers = {};
@@ -88,6 +89,28 @@ exports.resolve = function (domain, type_, callback_) {
 }
 
 
+exports.getHostByName = function (domain, callback) {
+  channel.getHostByName(domain, dns.AF_INET, callback);
+};
+
+// Easy DNS A/AAAA look up
+exports.lookup = function (domain, callback) {
+  channel.getHostByName(domain, dns.AF_INET, function (err, domains4) {
+    if (domains4 && domains4.length) {
+      callback(null, domains4[0], 4);
+    } else {
+      channel.getHostByName(domain, dns.AF_INET6, function (err, domains6) {
+        if (domains6 && domains6.length) {
+          callback(null, domains6[0], 6);
+        } else {
+          callback(err, []);
+        }
+      });
+    }
+  });
+};
+
+
 exports.resolve4    = function(domain, callback) { channel.query(domain, dns.A, callback) };
 exports.resolve6    = function(domain, callback) { channel.query(domain, dns.AAAA, callback) };
 exports.resolveTxt  = function(domain, callback) { channel.query(domain, dns.TXT, callback) };
diff --git a/test/simple/test-c-ares.js b/test/simple/test-c-ares.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..683babc474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-c-ares.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+require('../common');
+
+var dns = require("dns_cares");
+
+
+// Try resolution without callback
+
+dns.getHostByName('localhost', function (error, result) {
+   p(result);
+   assert.deepEqual(['127.0.0.1'], result);
+});
+
+dns.getHostByName('127.0.0.1', function (error, result) {
+   p(result);
+   assert.deepEqual(['127.0.0.1'], result);
+});
+
+dns.lookup('127.0.0.1', function (error, result, ipVersion) {
+   assert.deepEqual('127.0.0.1', result);
+   assert.equal(4, ipVersion);
+});
+
+dns.lookup('ipv6.google.com', function (error, result, ipVersion) {
+   if (error) throw error;
+   p(arguments);
+   //assert.equal('string', typeof result);
+   assert.equal(6, ipVersion);
+});