diff --git a/src/pkg/net/iprawsock.go b/src/pkg/net/iprawsock.go
index 357bc91cfe..a811027b1c 100644
--- a/src/pkg/net/iprawsock.go
+++ b/src/pkg/net/iprawsock.go
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ func hostToIP(net, host string) (ip IP, err os.Error) {
 			err = err1
 			goto Error
 		}
-		addr = firstSupportedAddr(filter, addrs)
+		addr = firstFavoriteAddr(filter, addrs)
 		if addr == nil {
 			// should not happen
 			err = &AddrError{"LookupHost returned no suitable address", addrs[0]}
diff --git a/src/pkg/net/ipsock.go b/src/pkg/net/ipsock.go
index d44a88c965..0b8c388f15 100644
--- a/src/pkg/net/ipsock.go
+++ b/src/pkg/net/ipsock.go
@@ -98,6 +98,23 @@ func favoriteAddrFamily(net string, raddr, laddr sockaddr, mode string) int {
 	return syscall.AF_INET6
 }
 
+func firstFavoriteAddr(filter func(IP) IP, addrs []string) (addr IP) {
+	if filter == anyaddr {
+		// We'll take any IP address, but since the dialing code
+		// does not yet try multiple addresses, prefer to use
+		// an IPv4 address if possible.  This is especially relevant
+		// if localhost resolves to [ipv6-localhost, ipv4-localhost].
+		// Too much code assumes localhost == ipv4-localhost.
+		addr = firstSupportedAddr(ipv4only, addrs)
+		if addr == nil {
+			addr = firstSupportedAddr(anyaddr, addrs)
+		}
+	} else {
+		addr = firstSupportedAddr(filter, addrs)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 func firstSupportedAddr(filter func(IP) IP, addrs []string) IP {
 	for _, s := range addrs {
 		if addr := filter(ParseIP(s)); addr != nil {
@@ -276,7 +293,7 @@ func hostPortToIP(net, hostport string) (ip IP, iport int, err os.Error) {
 				err = err1
 				goto Error
 			}
-			addr = firstSupportedAddr(filter, addrs)
+			addr = firstFavoriteAddr(filter, addrs)
 			if addr == nil {
 				// should not happen
 				err = &AddrError{"LookupHost returned no suitable address", addrs[0]}