diff --git a/weave b/weave
index c602e51d..b00eadcc 100755
--- a/weave
+++ b/weave
@@ -397,7 +397,17 @@ case "$COMMAND" in
         shift 1
         create_bridge
         DNS_ARG=$(docker inspect --format '--dns {{ .NetworkSettings.IPAddress }}'" --link $DNS_CONTAINER_NAME:$DNS_CONTAINER_NAME" $DNS_CONTAINER_NAME 2>/dev/null) || true
-        CONTAINER=$(docker run $DNS_ARG -d "$@" | tail -n 1)
+        DNS_SEARCH_ARG="--dns-search=."
+        for arg in $@; do
+           case $arg in
+               --dns-search=*)
+                   DNS_SEARCH_ARG=""
+                   ;;
+               *)
+                   ;;
+           esac;
+        done
+        CONTAINER=$(docker run $DNS_ARG $DNS_SEARCH_ARG -d "$@" | tail -n 1)
         with_container_netns $CONTAINER attach $CIDR >/dev/null
         tell_dns PUT $CONTAINER $CIDR
         echo $CONTAINER
diff --git a/weavedns/README.md b/weavedns/README.md
index 48998a5b..632a077f 100644
--- a/weavedns/README.md
+++ b/weavedns/README.md
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ $ weave run 10.1.1.25/24 -ti -h pingme.weave.local ubuntu
 $ shell1=$(weave run 10.1.1.26/24 -ti -h ubuntu.weave.local ubuntu)
 $ docker attach $shell1
 
-# ping pingme.weave.local
+# ping pingme
 ...
 ```
 
@@ -27,6 +27,21 @@ The IP address supplied to `weave launch-dns` must not be used by any
 other container, and the supplied network must contain all application
 networks.
 
+## Domain search paths
+
+If you don't supply a domain search path (with `--dns-search=`),
+`weave run ...` will tell a container to look for "bare" hostnames,
+like `pingme`, in its own domain. That's why you can just say `ping
+pingme` above -- since the hostname is `ubuntu.weave.local`, it will
+look for `pingme.weave.local`.
+
+If you want to supply other entries for the domain search path, you
+will need *also* to supply the `weave.local` domain or subdomain:
+
+```bash
+weave run 10.1.1.4/24 -ti --dns-search=weave.local --dns-search=local ubuntu
+```
+
 ## Doing things more manually
 
 If a weaveDNS container is running, `weave run` will automatically
@@ -53,6 +68,13 @@ $ weave attach 10.1.1.27/24 $shell2
 This isn't very useful unless the container is also attached to the
 weave network (as in the last line above).
 
+### Supplying the domain search path
+
+Again, when using `docker run`, you will usually want to supply a
+domain search path so that you can use unqualified hostnames. Use
+`--dns-search=.` to make the resolver use the container's domain, or
+e.g., `--dns-search=weave.local` to make it look in `weave.local`.
+
 ### Adding containers to DNS
 
 If DNS is started after you've attached a container to the weave
@@ -84,6 +106,13 @@ $ dns_ip=$(docker inspect --format='{{ .NetworkSettings.IPAddress }}' weavedns)
 $ curl -X DELETE "http://$dns_ip:6785/name/$shell2/10.1.1.27"
 ```
 
+### Supplying `--dns-search=`
+
+By default, Docker will provide containers with a `/etc/resolv.conf`
+that matches that for the host. In some circumstances, this may
+include a DNS search path, which will break the nice "bare names
+resolve" property above.
+
 ## Present limitations
 
  * The server will not know about restarted containers, but if you