diff --git a/ares__get_hostent.c b/ares__get_hostent.c
index 298df091..94428ee9 100644
--- a/ares__get_hostent.c
+++ b/ares__get_hostent.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-/* Copyright 1998, 2010 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
+/* Copyright 1998, 2011 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this
  * software and its documentation for any purpose and without
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 #include "ares.h"
 #include "inet_net_pton.h"
+#include "ares_nowarn.h"
 #include "ares_private.h"
 
 int ares__get_hostent(FILE *fp, int family, struct hostent **host)
@@ -219,8 +220,8 @@ int ares__get_hostent(FILE *fp, int family, struct hostent **host)
         break;
 
       /* Copy actual network address family and length. */
-      hostent->h_addrtype = addr.family;
-      hostent->h_length = (int)addrlen;
+      hostent->h_addrtype = aresx_sitoss(addr.family);
+      hostent->h_length = aresx_uztoss(addrlen);
 
       /* Free line buffer. */
       free(line);
diff --git a/ares_gethostbyname.c b/ares_gethostbyname.c
index ad89dc27..4869402b 100644
--- a/ares_gethostbyname.c
+++ b/ares_gethostbyname.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-/* Copyright 1998 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
+/* Copyright 1998, 2011 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this
  * software and its documentation for any purpose and without
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 #include "inet_net_pton.h"
 #include "bitncmp.h"
 #include "ares_platform.h"
+#include "ares_nowarn.h"
 #include "ares_private.h"
 
 #ifdef WATT32
@@ -300,7 +301,7 @@ static int fake_hostent(const char *name, int family,
   /* Fill in the rest of the host structure and terminate the query. */
   addrs[1] = NULL;
   hostent.h_aliases = aliases;
-  hostent.h_addrtype = family;
+  hostent.h_addrtype = aresx_sitoss(family);
   hostent.h_addr_list = addrs;
   callback(arg, ARES_SUCCESS, 0, &hostent);
 
diff --git a/ares_nowarn.c b/ares_nowarn.c
index 701add58..6c92f6fb 100644
--- a/ares_nowarn.c
+++ b/ares_nowarn.c
@@ -39,6 +39,19 @@
 
 #include "ares_nowarn.h"
 
+#if (SIZEOF_SHORT == 2)
+#  define CARES_MASK_SSHORT  0x7FFF
+#  define CARES_MASK_USHORT  0xFFFF
+#elif (SIZEOF_SHORT == 4)
+#  define CARES_MASK_SSHORT  0x7FFFFFFF
+#  define CARES_MASK_USHORT  0xFFFFFFFF
+#elif (SIZEOF_SHORT == 8)
+#  define CARES_MASK_SSHORT  0x7FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
+#  define CARES_MASK_USHORT  0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
+#else
+#  error "SIZEOF_SHORT not defined"
+#endif
+
 #if (SIZEOF_INT == 2)
 #  define CARES_MASK_SINT  0x7FFF
 #  define CARES_MASK_UINT  0xFFFF
@@ -71,6 +84,43 @@ int aresx_uztosi(size_t uznum)
 #endif
 }
 
+/*
+** unsigned size_t to signed short
+*/
+
+short aresx_uztoss(size_t uznum)
+{
+#ifdef __INTEL_COMPILER
+#  pragma warning(push)
+#  pragma warning(disable:810) /* conversion may lose significant bits */
+#endif
+
+  return (short)(uznum & (size_t) CARES_MASK_SSHORT);
+
+#ifdef __INTEL_COMPILER
+#  pragma warning(pop)
+#endif
+}
+
+/*
+** signed int to signed short
+*/
+
+short aresx_sitoss(int sinum)
+{
+#ifdef __INTEL_COMPILER
+#  pragma warning(push)
+#  pragma warning(disable:810) /* conversion may lose significant bits */
+#endif
+
+  DEBUGASSERT(sinum >= 0);
+  return (short)(sinum & (int) CARES_MASK_SSHORT);
+
+#ifdef __INTEL_COMPILER
+#  pragma warning(pop)
+#endif
+}
+
 /*
 ** signed long to signed int
 */
diff --git a/ares_nowarn.h b/ares_nowarn.h
index bcaa2272..af112b9f 100644
--- a/ares_nowarn.h
+++ b/ares_nowarn.h
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
 
 int aresx_uztosi(size_t uznum);
 
+short aresx_uztoss(size_t uznum);
+
+short aresx_sitoss(int sinum);
+
 int aresx_sltosi(long slnum);
 
 int aresx_sztosi(ssize_t sznum);
diff --git a/ares_parse_ptr_reply.c b/ares_parse_ptr_reply.c
index 3b6dbc32..ed4a405b 100644
--- a/ares_parse_ptr_reply.c
+++ b/ares_parse_ptr_reply.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include "ares.h"
 #include "ares_dns.h"
+#include "ares_nowarn.h"
 #include "ares_private.h"
 
 int ares_parse_ptr_reply(const unsigned char *abuf, int alen, const void *addr,
@@ -189,8 +190,8 @@ int ares_parse_ptr_reply(const unsigned char *abuf, int alen, const void *addr,
                       for (i=0 ; i<aliascnt ; i++)
                         hostent->h_aliases[i] = aliases[i];
                       hostent->h_aliases[aliascnt] = NULL;
-                      hostent->h_addrtype = family;
-                      hostent->h_length = addrlen;
+                      hostent->h_addrtype = aresx_sitoss(family);
+                      hostent->h_length = aresx_sitoss(addrlen);
                       memcpy(hostent->h_addr_list[0], addr, addrlen);
                       hostent->h_addr_list[1] = NULL;
                       *host = hostent;
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d692c5b3..ad6eef4c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -460,8 +460,9 @@ AC_HEADER_TIME
 CURL_CHECK_STRUCT_TIMEVAL
 
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(size_t)
-AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(int)
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(long)
+AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(int)
+AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(short)
 CARES_CONFIGURE_LONG
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(time_t)