diff --git a/src/lib/ares_qcache.c b/src/lib/ares_qcache.c
index cf841dcb..e1ee3cc3 100644
--- a/src/lib/ares_qcache.c
+++ b/src/lib/ares_qcache.c
@@ -147,7 +147,9 @@ static void ares__qcache_expire(ares__qcache_t       *cache,
 
   while ((node = ares__slist_node_first(cache->expire)) != NULL) {
     const ares__qcache_entry_t *entry = ares__slist_node_val(node);
-    if (entry->expire_ts > now->sec) {
+
+    /* If now is NULL, we're flushing everything, so don't break */
+    if (now != NULL && entry->expire_ts > now->sec) {
       break;
     }
 
@@ -158,9 +160,7 @@ static void ares__qcache_expire(ares__qcache_t       *cache,
 
 void ares__qcache_flush(ares__qcache_t *cache)
 {
-  ares_timeval_t now;
-  memset(&now, 0, sizeof(now));
-  ares__qcache_expire(cache, &now);
+  ares__qcache_expire(cache, NULL /* flush all */);
 }
 
 void ares__qcache_destroy(ares__qcache_t *cache)
diff --git a/src/lib/ares_update_servers.c b/src/lib/ares_update_servers.c
index a3e9f0d0..181dbb39 100644
--- a/src/lib/ares_update_servers.c
+++ b/src/lib/ares_update_servers.c
@@ -671,9 +671,10 @@ static ares_bool_t ares__server_in_newconfig(const struct server_state *server,
   return ARES_FALSE;
 }
 
-static void ares__servers_remove_stale(ares_channel_t *channel,
-                                       ares__llist_t  *srvlist)
+static ares_bool_t ares__servers_remove_stale(ares_channel_t *channel,
+                                              ares__llist_t  *srvlist)
 {
+  ares_bool_t         stale_removed = ARES_FALSE;
   ares__slist_node_t *snode = ares__slist_node_first(channel->servers);
 
   while (snode != NULL) {
@@ -683,9 +684,11 @@ static void ares__servers_remove_stale(ares_channel_t *channel,
       /* This will clean up all server state via the destruction callback and
        * move any queries to new servers */
       ares__slist_node_destroy(snode);
+      stale_removed = ARES_TRUE;
     }
     snode = snext;
   }
+  return stale_removed;
 }
 
 static void ares__servers_trim_single(ares_channel_t *channel)
@@ -702,6 +705,7 @@ ares_status_t ares__servers_update(ares_channel_t *channel,
   ares__llist_node_t *node;
   size_t              idx = 0;
   ares_status_t       status;
+  ares_bool_t         list_changed = ARES_FALSE;
 
   if (channel == NULL) {
     return ARES_EFORMERR;
@@ -747,13 +751,17 @@ ares_status_t ares__servers_update(ares_channel_t *channel,
       if (status != ARES_SUCCESS) {
         goto done;
       }
+
+      list_changed = ARES_TRUE;
     }
 
     idx++;
   }
 
   /* Remove any servers that don't exist in the current configuration */
-  ares__servers_remove_stale(channel, server_list);
+  if (ares__servers_remove_stale(channel, server_list)) {
+    list_changed = ARES_TRUE;
+  }
 
   /* Trim to one server if ARES_FLAG_PRIMARY is set. */
   if (channel->flags & ARES_FLAG_PRIMARY) {
@@ -765,8 +773,10 @@ ares_status_t ares__servers_update(ares_channel_t *channel,
     channel->optmask |= ARES_OPT_SERVERS;
   }
 
-  /* Clear any cached query results */
-  ares__qcache_flush(channel->qcache);
+  /* Clear any cached query results only if the server list changed */
+  if (list_changed) {
+    ares__qcache_flush(channel->qcache);
+  }
 
   status = ARES_SUCCESS;