diff --git a/evdns.c b/evdns.c
index 04362a32..28ea0f6c 100644
--- a/evdns.c
+++ b/evdns.c
@@ -4045,16 +4045,15 @@ evdns_base_free(struct evdns_base *base, int fail_requests)
 }
 
 void
-evdns_base_flush_outdated_host_addresses(struct evdns_base *base)
+evdns_base_clear_host_addresses(struct evdns_base *base)
 {
-   	EVDNS_LOCK(base);
-   	struct hosts_entry *victim;
-   	while ((victim = TAILQ_FIRST(&base->hostsdb))) {
-   	TAILQ_REMOVE(&base->hostsdb, victim, next);
-        mm_free(victim);
-   	}
-   	EVDNS_UNLOCK(base);
-   	EVTHREAD_FREE_LOCK(base->lock, EVTHREAD_LOCKTYPE_RECURSIVE);
+	EVDNS_LOCK(base);
+	struct hosts_entry *victim;
+	while ((victim = TAILQ_FIRST(&base->hostsdb))) {
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&base->hostsdb, victim, next);
+		mm_free(victim);
+	}
+	EVDNS_UNLOCK(base);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/include/event2/dns.h b/include/event2/dns.h
index b7ca0937..fd4dec68 100644
--- a/include/event2/dns.h
+++ b/include/event2/dns.h
@@ -237,11 +237,13 @@ struct evdns_base * evdns_base_new(struct event_base *event_base, int initialize
  */
 void evdns_base_free(struct evdns_base *base, int fail_requests);
 
-/**  
-  All previous outdated host addresses will be removed or flushed from the event base.  
-  @param evdns_base the evdns base to flush outdated host addresses
-*/
-void evdns_base_flush_outdated_host_addresses(struct evdns_base *base);
+/**
+   Remove all hosts entries that have been loaded into the event_base via
+   evdns_base_load_hosts or via event_base_resolv_conf_parse.
+
+   @param evdns_base the evdns base to remove outdated host addresses from
+ */
+void evdns_base_clear_host_addresses(struct evdns_base *base);
 
 /**
   Convert a DNS error code to a string.
@@ -449,6 +451,9 @@ int evdns_base_resolv_conf_parse(struct evdns_base *base, int flags, const char
 
    Note that only evdns_getaddrinfo uses the /etc/hosts entries.
 
+   This function does not replace previously loaded hosts entries; to do that,
+   call evdns_base_clear_host_addresses first.
+
    Return 0 on success, negative on failure.
 */
 int evdns_base_load_hosts(struct evdns_base *base, const char *hosts_fname);