diff --git a/testmdnsd.c b/testmdnsd.c
index cbfdfd9..0f88f9e 100644
--- a/testmdnsd.c
+++ b/testmdnsd.c
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ background()
 }
 #endif
 
-void freehostents( struct hostent * h) {
+static void freehostents( struct hostent * h) {
 	for (struct hostent *p = h; p->h_name; ++p) {
 		free(p->h_name);
 		free(p->h_addr_list);
@@ -92,22 +92,31 @@ void freehostents( struct hostent * h) {
 	free(h);
 }
 
-struct hostent * add_host(struct hostent * hosts, const char * hostname, struct in_addr ip) {
+/*
+ *	Add the mapping from hostname to in_addr_ip to the hosts block.
+ *	The return value is the pointer to the next entry after the added entry.
+ *	Case 1. The block is initially empty. Populate it with a loop like
+ *		for (p = hosts,i=0;; p = add_host(p, hostname[i], addr[i],++i);
+ *	Case 2. The block is in use. The added entry replaces the first one with 
+ *		h_length == 0.
+ */
+static struct hostent * add_host(struct hostent * hosts, const char * hostname, struct in_addr ip) {
 	struct hostent * p;
 	
 	int newname = 1;
 	for (p=hosts;p->h_name;++p) {
-		newname = 1;
 		if (p->h_length == 0 ||
 			0 == (newname = strcasecmp(p->h_name, hostname))) 
 			break;
 	}
 	if (p->h_name) {
 		if (0 != newname) {
+			/* reusing an entry with a new name */
 			free(p->h_name);
 			p->h_name = strdup(hostname);
 		}
 	} else {
+		/* new entry */
 		p->h_name = strdup(hostname);
 		(p+1)->h_name = 0;
 	}
@@ -198,12 +207,18 @@ struct hostent * read_hosts(unsigned int extra) {
 			struct in_addr it;
 			it.s_addr = inet_addr(ip);
 			do {
-				struct hostent * pp = add_host(p, name, it);
-				char * dot = strrchr(p->h_name, '.');
-				if (dot && 0 == strcasecmp(dot, ".local"))
+				char * dot = strrchr(name, '.');
+				if (dot && 0 == strcasecmp(dot, ".local")) {
+					struct hostent * pp = add_host(p, name, it);
 					/* flag as expendable */
 					p->h_length = 0;
-				p = pp;
+					p = pp;
+				} else {
+					/* try to push down non-local names */
+					struct hostent * pp = add_host(hostents, name, it);
+					/* not pushed down -> appended */
+					if (pp > p) p = pp;
+				}
 
 				/* running out of space? try for more */
 				 if (--nleft < extra + 1) {
@@ -249,7 +264,7 @@ struct hostent * read_hosts(unsigned int extra) {
 	return hostents;
 }
 
-int write_hosts(const struct hostent * hostents) {
+static int write_hosts(const struct hostent * hostents) {
 	int ret = -1;
 	FILE * hosts = fopen( HOSTFILE, "w");
 	if (!hosts) {
@@ -257,7 +272,7 @@ int write_hosts(const struct hostent * hostents) {
 		return ret;
 	}
 	for (const struct hostent * p = hostents;p->h_name;++p) {
-		//printf( "writing %.255s\n", p->h_name);
+		/* printf( "writing %.255s\n", p->h_name); */
 		if (p->h_length > 0) {
 			for (struct in_addr ** pa = (struct in_addr **)(p->h_addr_list); *pa; ++pa) {
 				ret = fprintf( hosts, "%s\t%s\n", inet_ntoa(**pa), p->h_name);
@@ -268,13 +283,19 @@ int write_hosts(const struct hostent * hostents) {
 	return ret;
 }
 
-void dump_hosts(const struct hostent * hostents) {
+#if 0
+static void dump_host(const struct hostent * hostent) {
+		printf( "Host: %.255s\t%.32s\t%d\n", hostent->h_name, 
+				inet_ntoa(*(struct in_addr *)(hostent->h_addr_list[0])), 
+				hostent->h_length);
+}
+
+static void dump_hosts(const struct hostent * hostents) {
 	for (const struct hostent * p = hostents;p->h_name;++p) {
-		printf( "Host: %.255s\t%.32s\t%d\n", p->h_name, 
-				inet_ntoa(*(struct in_addr *)(p->h_addr_list[0])), 
-				p->h_length);
+		dump_host(p);
 	}
 }
+#endif
 
 static void handler_stop(int sig) {
 	(void)sig;
@@ -381,17 +402,15 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				return 1;
 			}	
 			//dump_hosts(hosts);
-			struct hostent * p = hosts;
 			/* recognise own .local hostname */
-			p = add_host(p, fullname, saddr);
+			struct hostent * p = add_host(hosts, fullname, saddr);
 			for (int i = 0; i < numserv; ++i) {
 				struct in_addr it;
 				it.s_addr = svcinfo[i].ipaddr;
 				printf("Host %d: %s (%s)\n", i, svcinfo[i].hostname, inet_ntoa(it));
 				p = add_host(p, svcinfo[i].hostname, it);
-			}
-			p->h_name = 0;
-			//dump_hosts(hosts);
+				}
+			/* p->h_name = 0; */
 			write_hosts(hosts);
 			freehostents(hosts);
 		}