diff --git a/test/205_dns_disabled.sh b/test/205_dns_disabled.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..8799acbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/205_dns_disabled.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+
+. ./config.sh
+
+C1=10.2.0.87
+
+start_suite "Standard behaviour when weaveDNS is disabled"
+
+weave_on $HOST1 launch --no-dns
+
+assert "weave_on $HOST1 dns-args" ""
+
+C=$(start_container_with_dns $HOST1 $C1/24 --name=c1)
+
+# hostname is left untouched; equals short container id
+assert "exec_on $HOST1 c1 hostname" $(echo $C | cut -c1-12)
+
+# domainname is left empty
+assert "exec_on $HOST1 c1 dnsdomainname" ""
+
+# external name resolution works
+assert_raises "exec_on $HOST1 c1 getent hosts www.weave.works"
+
+end_suite
diff --git a/weave b/weave
index 0f79c023..97f7c51f 100755
--- a/weave
+++ b/weave
@@ -1131,15 +1131,12 @@ peer_args() {
 # weaveDNS helpers
 ######################################################################
 
-# Memoized function to query the weaveDNS server for our dns domain.
-dns_domain() {
-    DNS_DOMAIN=${DNS_DOMAIN:-$(call_weave GET /domain 2>/dev/null || true)}
-    DNS_DOMAIN=${DNS_DOMAIN:-weave.local.}
-    echo $DNS_DOMAIN
-}
-
 dns_args() {
-    docker_bridge_ip
+    # NB: this is memoized
+    DNS_DOMAIN=${DNS_DOMAIN:-$(call_weave GET /domain 2>/dev/null || true)}
+    [ "$DNS_DOMAIN" = "404 page not found" ] && return 0
+    DNS_DOMAIN=${DNS_DOMAIN:-weave.local.}
+
     NAME_ARG=""
     HOSTNAME_SPECIFIED=
     DNS_SEARCH_SPECIFIED=
@@ -1169,10 +1166,11 @@ dns_args() {
         shift
     done
     [ -n "$WITHOUT_DNS" ] && return 0
+
+    docker_bridge_ip
     DNS_ARGS="--dns $DOCKER_BRIDGE_IP"
     if [ -n "$NAME_ARG" -a -z "$HOSTNAME_SPECIFIED" ] ; then
-        DOMAIN=$(dns_domain)
-        HOSTNAME="$NAME_ARG.${DOMAIN%.}"
+        HOSTNAME="$NAME_ARG.${DNS_DOMAIN%.}"
         if [ ${#HOSTNAME} -gt 64 ] ; then
             echo "Container name too long to be used as hostname" >&2
         else
@@ -1182,7 +1180,7 @@ dns_args() {
     fi
     if [ -z "$DNS_SEARCH_SPECIFIED" ] ; then
       if [ -z "$HOSTNAME_SPECIFIED" ] ; then
-        DNS_ARGS="$DNS_ARGS --dns-search=$(dns_domain)"
+        DNS_ARGS="$DNS_ARGS --dns-search=$DNS_DOMAIN"
       else
         DNS_ARGS="$DNS_ARGS --dns-search=."
       fi