diff --git a/simgear/io/DNSClient.cxx b/simgear/io/DNSClient.cxx
index de0a22a2..268f0a82 100644
--- a/simgear/io/DNSClient.cxx
+++ b/simgear/io/DNSClient.cxx
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ namespace DNS {
 
 class Client::ClientPrivate {
 public:
-    ClientPrivate() {
-
+    ClientPrivate(const std::string& nameserver)
+    {
         if( instanceCounter++ == 0 )
           if (dns_init(NULL, 0) < 0)
               SG_LOG(SG_IO, SG_ALERT, "Can't init udns library" );
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ public:
         if (dns_init(ctx, 0) < 0)
             SG_LOG(SG_IO, SG_ALERT, "Can't create udns context" );
 
+        if (!nameserver.empty()) {
+            dns_add_serv(ctx, nullptr);
+            dns_add_serv(ctx, nameserver.c_str());
+        }
+
         if( dns_open(ctx) < 0 )
             SG_LOG(SG_IO, SG_ALERT, "Can't open udns context" );
     }
@@ -254,13 +259,11 @@ void NAPTRRequest::submit( Client * client )
     _query = q;
 }
 
-
-Client::~Client()
+Client::Client(const std::string& nameserver) : d(new ClientPrivate{nameserver})
 {
 }
 
-Client::Client() :
-    d(new ClientPrivate)
+Client::~Client()
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/simgear/io/DNSClient.hxx b/simgear/io/DNSClient.hxx
index a71b6c6b..1703cb63 100644
--- a/simgear/io/DNSClient.hxx
+++ b/simgear/io/DNSClient.hxx
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ public:
 class Client
 {
 public:
-    Client();
+    Client(const std::string& nameserver = {});
     ~Client();
 
     void update(int waitTimeout = 0);
diff --git a/simgear/scene/tsync/terrasync.cxx b/simgear/scene/tsync/terrasync.cxx
index 9e1c267a..86f1eeac 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/tsync/terrasync.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/tsync/terrasync.cxx
@@ -317,6 +317,11 @@ public:
       _isAutomaticServer = (server == "automatic");
    }
 
+   void setDNSServer(const std::string& nameserver)
+   {
+       _dnsNameserver = nameserver;
+   }
+
    void setDNSDN( const std::string & dn )
    {
      _dnsdn = simgear::strutils::strip(dn);
@@ -414,6 +419,7 @@ public:
     string _sceneryVersion;
     string _protocol;
     string _dnsdn;
+    string _dnsNameserver;
 
     TerrasyncThreadState _state;
     mutable std::mutex _stateLock;
@@ -537,7 +543,7 @@ std::string SGTerraSync::WorkerThread::dnsSelectServerForService(const std::stri
     naptrRequest->qflags = "U";
     DNS::Request_ptr r(naptrRequest);
 
-    DNS::Client dnsClient;
+    DNS::Client dnsClient{_dnsNameserver};
     dnsClient.makeRequest(r);
     SG_LOG(SG_TERRASYNC,SG_DEBUG,"DNS NAPTR query for '" << _dnsdn << "' '" << naptrRequest->qservice << "'" );
     while (!r->isComplete() && !r->isTimeout()) {
@@ -1170,6 +1176,16 @@ void SGTerraSync::reinit()
         _workerThread->setSceneryVersion( _terraRoot->getStringValue("scenery-version","ws20") );
         _workerThread->setOSMCityVersion(_terraRoot->getStringValue("osm2city-version", "o2c"));
         _workerThread->setProtocol( _terraRoot->getStringValue("protocol","") );
+
+        if (_terraRoot->hasChild("dns-server")) {
+            auto ns = _terraRoot->getStringValue("dns-server");
+            if (ns == "google") {
+                ns = "8.8.8.8";
+            }
+            
+            SG_LOG(SG_TERRASYNC,SG_INFO,"DNS server override:" << ns);
+            _workerThread->setDNSServer(ns);
+        }
 #if 1
         // leave it hardcoded for now, not sure about the security implications for now
         _workerThread->setDNSDN( "terrasync.flightgear.org");