diff --git a/nameserver/server.go b/nameserver/server.go
index 9a1726e5..fd15bb3d 100644
--- a/nameserver/server.go
+++ b/nameserver/server.go
@@ -61,10 +61,15 @@ func (s *DNSServer) Start() error {
 	err = mdnsClient.Start(s.iface)
 	checkFatal(err)
 
-	LocalServeMux := dns.NewServeMux()
-	LocalServeMux.HandleFunc(LOCAL_DOMAIN, s.queryHandler([]Lookup{s.zone, mdnsClient}))
-	LocalServeMux.HandleFunc(RDNS_DOMAIN, s.rdnsHandler([]Lookup{s.zone, mdnsClient}))
-	LocalServeMux.HandleFunc(".", s.notUsHandler())
+	// create two DNS request multiplexerers, depending on the protocol used by clients
+	// (we use the same protocol for asking upstream servers)
+	mux := func(client *dns.Client) *dns.ServeMux {
+		m := dns.NewServeMux()
+		m.HandleFunc(LOCAL_DOMAIN, s.queryHandler([]Lookup{s.zone, mdnsClient}))
+		m.HandleFunc(RDNS_DOMAIN, s.rdnsHandler([]Lookup{s.zone, mdnsClient}, client))
+		m.HandleFunc(".", s.notUsHandler(client))
+		return m
+	}
 
 	mdnsServer, err := NewMDNSServer(s.zone)
 	checkFatal(err)
@@ -73,8 +78,8 @@ func (s *DNSServer) Start() error {
 	checkFatal(err)
 
 	address := fmt.Sprintf(":%d", s.port)
-	s.udpSrv = &dns.Server{Addr: address, Net: "udp", Handler: LocalServeMux}
-	s.tcpSrv = &dns.Server{Addr: address, Net: "tcp", Handler: LocalServeMux}
+	s.udpSrv = &dns.Server{Addr: address, Net: "udp", Handler: mux(&dns.Client{Net: "udp", UDPSize: UDPBufSize})}
+	s.tcpSrv = &dns.Server{Addr: address, Net: "tcp", Handler: mux(&dns.Client{Net: "tcp"})}
 
 	go func() {
 		Info.Printf("Listening for DNS on %s (UDP)", address)
@@ -121,8 +126,8 @@ func (s *DNSServer) queryHandler(lookups []Lookup) dns.HandlerFunc {
 	}
 }
 
-func (s *DNSServer) rdnsHandler(lookups []Lookup) dns.HandlerFunc {
-	fallback := s.notUsHandler()
+func (s *DNSServer) rdnsHandler(lookups []Lookup, client *dns.Client) dns.HandlerFunc {
+	fallback := s.notUsHandler(client)
 	return func(w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dns.Msg) {
 		q := r.Question[0]
 		Debug.Printf("Reverse query: %+v", q)
@@ -144,9 +149,7 @@ func (s *DNSServer) rdnsHandler(lookups []Lookup) dns.HandlerFunc {
 
 // When we receive a request for a name outside of our '.weave.local.'
 // domain, ask the configured DNS server as a fallback.
-func (s *DNSServer) notUsHandler() dns.HandlerFunc {
-	dnsClient := new(dns.Client)
-	dnsClient.UDPSize = UDPBufSize
+func (s *DNSServer) notUsHandler(dnsClient *dns.Client) dns.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dns.Msg) {
 		q := r.Question[0]
 		Debug.Printf("[dns msgid %d] Fallback query: %+v", r.MsgHdr.Id, q)