--- a/src/network/core/address.cpp
+++ b/src/network/core/address.cpp
@@ -21,17 +21,6 @@
 	return this->hostname;
 }
 
-uint32 NetworkAddress::GetIP()
-{
-	assert(this->address.ss_family == AF_INET);
-
-	if (!this->resolved) {
-		((struct sockaddr_in *)&this->address)->sin_addr.s_addr = NetworkResolveHost(this->hostname);
-		this->resolved = true;
-	}
-	return ((struct sockaddr_in *)&this->address)->sin_addr.s_addr;
-}
-
 uint16 NetworkAddress::GetPort() const
 {
 	switch (this->address.ss_family) {
@@ -66,7 +55,10 @@
 
 const sockaddr_storage *NetworkAddress::GetAddress()
 {
-	if (!this->resolved) this->GetIP();
+	if (!this->resolved) {
+		((struct sockaddr_in *)&this->address)->sin_addr.s_addr = NetworkResolveHost(this->hostname);
+		this->resolved = true;
+	}
 	return &this->address;
 }
 

--- a/src/network/core/address.h
+++ b/src/network/core/address.h
@@ -98,13 +98,6 @@
 	const sockaddr_storage *GetAddress();
 
 	/**
-	 * Get the IP address. If the IP has not been resolved yet this will resolve
-	 * it possibly blocking this function for a while
-	 * @return the IP address
-	 */
-	uint32 GetIP();
-
-	/**
 	 * Get the port
 	 * @return the port
 	 */
@@ -131,12 +124,20 @@
 	 */
 	bool operator == (NetworkAddress &address)
 	{
-		if (this->IsResolved() != address.IsResolved()) return false;
-
-		if (this->IsResolved()) return memcmp(&this->address, &address.address, sizeof(this->address)) == 0;
-
+		if (this->IsResolved() && address.IsResolved()) return memcmp(&this->address, &address.address, sizeof(this->address)) == 0;
 		return this->GetPort() == address.GetPort() && strcmp(this->GetHostname(), address.GetHostname()) == 0;
 	}
+
+	NetworkAddress& operator = (const NetworkAddress &other)
+	{
+		if (this != &other) { // protect against invalid self-assignment
+			free(this->hostname);
+			memcpy(this, &other, sizeof(*this));
+			if (other.hostname != NULL) this->hostname = strdup(other.hostname);
+		}
+		return *this;
+	}
+
 };
 
 #endif /* ENABLE_NETWORK */

--- a/src/network/core/tcp_connect.cpp
+++ b/src/network/core/tcp_connect.cpp
@@ -41,13 +41,8 @@
 
 	if (!SetNoDelay(this->sock)) DEBUG(net, 1, "Setting TCP_NODELAY failed");
 
-	struct sockaddr_in sin;
-	sin.sin_family = AF_INET;
-	sin.sin_addr.s_addr = address.GetIP();
-	sin.sin_port = htons(address.GetPort());
-
 	/* We failed to connect for which reason what so ever */
-	if (connect(this->sock, (struct sockaddr*) &sin, sizeof(sin)) != 0) {
+	if (connect(this->sock, (struct sockaddr*)this->address.GetAddress(), sizeof(*this->address.GetAddress())) != 0) {
 		closesocket(this->sock);
 		this->sock = INVALID_SOCKET;
 		this->aborted = true;

--- a/src/network/network.cpp
+++ b/src/network/network.cpp
@@ -1090,7 +1090,6 @@
 {
 	extern SOCKET _debug_socket;  // Comes from debug.c
 	SOCKET s;
-	struct sockaddr_in sin;
 
 	DEBUG(net, 0, "Redirecting DEBUG() to %s:%d", address.GetHostname(), address.GetPort());
 
@@ -1102,12 +1101,8 @@
 
 	if (!SetNoDelay(s)) DEBUG(net, 1, "Setting TCP_NODELAY failed");
 
-	sin.sin_family = AF_INET;
-	sin.sin_addr.s_addr = address.GetIP();
-	sin.sin_port = htons(address.GetPort());
-
-	if (connect(s, (struct sockaddr *)&sin, sizeof(sin)) != 0) {
-		DEBUG(net, 0, "Failed to redirection DEBUG() to %s:%d", address.GetHostname(), address.GetPort());
+	if (connect(s, (struct sockaddr *)address.GetAddress(), sizeof(*address.GetAddress())) != 0) {
+		DEBUG(net, 0, "Failed to redirection DEBUG() to %s", address.GetAddressAsString());
 		return;
 	}
 

--- a/src/network/network_gamelist.cpp
+++ b/src/network/network_gamelist.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
  * @return a point to the newly added or already existing item */
 NetworkGameList *NetworkGameListAddItem(NetworkAddress address)
 {
-	if (!address.IsResolved()) return NULL;
+	if (StrEmpty(address.GetHostname())) return NULL;
 
 	NetworkGameList *item, *prev_item;
 

--- a/src/network/network_udp.cpp
+++ b/src/network/network_udp.cpp
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@
 
 	/* Clear item in gamelist */
 	NetworkGameList *item = CallocT<NetworkGameList>(1);
-	item->address = NetworkAddress(*info);
+	item->address = *info;
 	strecpy(item->info.server_name, info->GetHostname(), lastof(item->info.server_name));
 	strecpy(item->info.hostname, info->GetHostname(), lastof(item->info.hostname));
 	item->manually = info->manually;