diff --git a/evdns.c b/evdns.c
index 1c30972e..166a0caf 100644
--- a/evdns.c
+++ b/evdns.c
@@ -2295,9 +2295,9 @@ int
 evdns_base_nameserver_ip_add(struct evdns_base *base, const char *ip_as_string) {
 	struct sockaddr_storage ss;
 	struct sockaddr *sa;
-	int len;
+	int len = sizeof(ss);
 	if (evutil_parse_sockaddr_port(ip_as_string, (struct sockaddr *)&ss,
-								   sizeof(ss))) {
+		&len)) {
 		log(EVDNS_LOG_WARN, "Unable to parse nameserver address %s",
 			ip_as_string);
 		return 4;
@@ -2307,14 +2307,12 @@ evdns_base_nameserver_ip_add(struct evdns_base *base, const char *ip_as_string)
 		struct sockaddr_in *sin = (struct sockaddr_in *)sa;
 		if (sin->sin_port == 0)
 			sin->sin_port = htons(53);
-		len = sizeof(struct sockaddr_in);
 	}
 #ifdef AF_INET6
 	else if (sa->sa_family == AF_INET6) {
 		struct sockaddr_in6 *sin6 = (struct sockaddr_in6 *)sa;
 		if (sin6->sin6_port == 0)
 			sin6->sin6_port = htons(53);
-		len = sizeof(struct sockaddr_in6);
 	}
 #endif
 	else
diff --git a/evutil.c b/evutil.c
index 38095592..6b4bb96d 100644
--- a/evutil.c
+++ b/evutil.c
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ evutil_inet_pton(int af, const char *src, void *dst)
 }
 
 int
-evutil_parse_sockaddr_port(const char *ip_as_string, struct sockaddr *out, int outlen)
+evutil_parse_sockaddr_port(const char *ip_as_string, struct sockaddr *out, int *outlen)
 {
 	int port;
 	char buf[128];
@@ -654,10 +654,11 @@ evutil_parse_sockaddr_port(const char *ip_as_string, struct sockaddr *out, int o
 		sin6.sin6_port = htons(port);
 		if (1 != evutil_inet_pton(AF_INET6, addr_part, &sin6.sin6_addr))
 			return -1;
-		if (sizeof(sin6) > outlen)
+		if (sizeof(sin6) > *outlen)
 			return -1;
-		memset(out, 0, outlen);
+		memset(out, 0, *outlen);
 		memcpy(out, &sin6, sizeof(sin6));
+                *outlen = sizeof(sin6);
 		return 0;
 	} else {
 		struct sockaddr_in sin;
@@ -669,10 +670,11 @@ evutil_parse_sockaddr_port(const char *ip_as_string, struct sockaddr *out, int o
 		sin.sin_port = htons(port);
 		if (1 != evutil_inet_pton(AF_INET, addr_part, &sin.sin_addr))
 			return -1;
-		if (sizeof(sin) > outlen)
+		if (sizeof(sin) > *outlen)
 			return -1;
-		memset(out, 0, outlen);
+		memset(out, 0, *outlen);
 		memcpy(out, &sin, sizeof(sin));
+                *outlen = sizeof(sin);
 		return 0;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/include/event2/util.h b/include/event2/util.h
index 6d331951..2e7ac810 100644
--- a/include/event2/util.h
+++ b/include/event2/util.h
@@ -262,12 +262,13 @@ struct sockaddr;
     @param str The string to parse.
     @param out A struct sockaddr to hold the result.  This should probably be
        a struct sockaddr_storage.
-    @param outlen The number of bytes that 'out' can safely hold.
+    @param outlen A pointer to the number of bytes that that 'out' can safely
+       hold.  Set to the number of bytes used in 'out' on sucess.
     @return -1 if the address is not well-formed, if the port is out of range,
        or if out is not large enough to hold the result.  Otherwise returns
        0 on success.
 */
-int evutil_parse_sockaddr_port(const char *str, struct sockaddr *out, int outlen);
+int evutil_parse_sockaddr_port(const char *str, struct sockaddr *out, int *outlen);
 
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/test/regress_util.c b/test/regress_util.c
index e78ee6a7..7e2bad71 100644
--- a/test/regress_util.c
+++ b/test/regress_util.c
@@ -220,8 +220,9 @@ regress_sockaddr_port_parse(void *ptr)
 
 	for (i = 0; sa_port_ents[i].parse; ++i) {
 		struct sa_port_ent *ent = &sa_port_ents[i];
+                int len = sizeof(ss);
 		memset(&ss, 0, sizeof(ss));
-		r = evutil_parse_sockaddr_port(ent->parse, (struct sockaddr*)&ss, sizeof(ss));
+		r = evutil_parse_sockaddr_port(ent->parse, (struct sockaddr*)&ss, &len);
 		if (r < 0) {
 			if (ent->sa_family)
 				TT_FAIL(("Couldn't parse %s!", ent->parse));
@@ -239,11 +240,13 @@ regress_sockaddr_port_parse(void *ptr)
 			sin.sin_family = AF_INET;
 			sin.sin_port = htons(ent->port);
 			r = evutil_inet_pton(AF_INET, ent->addr, &sin.sin_addr);
-			if (1 != r) {
+                        if (1 != r) {
 				TT_FAIL(("Couldn't parse ipv4 target %s.", ent->addr));
 			} else if (memcmp(&sin, &ss, sizeof(sin))) {
 				TT_FAIL(("Parse for %s was not as expected.", ent->parse));
-			}
+			} else if (len != sizeof(sin)) {
+                                TT_FAIL(("Length for %s not as expected.",ent->parse));
+                        }
 		} else {
 			struct sockaddr_in6 sin6;
 			memset(&sin6, 0, sizeof(sin6));
@@ -257,6 +260,8 @@ regress_sockaddr_port_parse(void *ptr)
 				TT_FAIL(("Couldn't parse ipv6 target %s.", ent->addr));
 			} else if (memcmp(&sin6, &ss, sizeof(sin6))) {
 				TT_FAIL(("Parse for %s was not as expected.", ent->parse));
+			} else if (len != sizeof(sin6)) {
+                                TT_FAIL(("Length for %s not as expected.",ent->parse));
 			}
 		}
 	}