diff --git a/gst/tcp/gsttcpclientsink.c b/gst/tcp/gsttcpclientsink.c
index a2e4a5228..36cef940c 100644
--- a/gst/tcp/gsttcpclientsink.c
+++ b/gst/tcp/gsttcpclientsink.c
@@ -283,54 +283,47 @@ gst_tcp_client_sink_start (GstBaseSink * bsink)
 {
   GstTCPClientSink *this = GST_TCP_CLIENT_SINK (bsink);
   GError *err = NULL;
-  GInetAddress *addr;
-  GSocketAddress *saddr;
-  GResolver *resolver;
+  GList *addrs;
+  GList *cur_addr;
+  GSocketAddress *saddr = NULL;
 
   if (GST_OBJECT_FLAG_IS_SET (this, GST_TCP_CLIENT_SINK_OPEN))
     return TRUE;
 
-  /* look up name if we need to */
-  addr = g_inet_address_new_from_string (this->host);
-  if (!addr) {
-    GList *results;
+  addrs =
+      tcp_get_addresses (GST_ELEMENT (this), this->host, this->cancellable,
+      &err);
+  if (!addrs)
+    goto name_resolve;
 
-    resolver = g_resolver_get_default ();
+  GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (this, "opening sending client socket to %s:%d", this->host,
+      this->port);
 
-    results =
-        g_resolver_lookup_by_name (resolver, this->host, this->cancellable,
+  cur_addr = addrs;
+  while (cur_addr) {
+    /* iterate over addresses until one works */
+    this->socket =
+        tcp_create_socket (GST_ELEMENT (this), &cur_addr, this->port, &saddr,
         &err);
-    if (!results)
-      goto name_resolve;
-    addr = G_INET_ADDRESS (g_object_ref (results->data));
+    if (!this->socket)
+      break;
 
-    g_resolver_free_addresses (results);
-    g_object_unref (resolver);
-  }
-#ifndef GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG
-  {
-    gchar *ip = g_inet_address_to_string (addr);
+    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (this, "opened sending client socket");
 
-    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (this, "IP address for host %s is %s", this->host, ip);
-    g_free (ip);
-  }
-#endif
-  saddr = g_inet_socket_address_new (addr, this->port);
-  g_object_unref (addr);
+    /* connect to server */
+    if (g_socket_connect (this->socket, saddr, this->cancellable, &err))
+      break;
 
-  /* create sending client socket */
-  GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (this, "opening sending client socket to %s:%d", this->host,
-      this->port);
-  this->socket =
-      g_socket_new (g_socket_address_get_family (saddr), G_SOCKET_TYPE_STREAM,
-      G_SOCKET_PROTOCOL_TCP, &err);
+    /* failed to connect, release and try next address... */
+    g_clear_object (&this->socket);
+    g_clear_object (&saddr);
+  }
+  g_list_free_full (addrs, g_object_unref);
   if (!this->socket)
     goto no_socket;
 
-  GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (this, "opened sending client socket");
-
-  /* connect to server */
-  if (!g_socket_connect (this->socket, saddr, this->cancellable, &err))
+  /* we should only have a valid saddr if connect was successful */
+  if (!saddr)
     goto connect_failed;
 
   g_object_unref (saddr);
@@ -345,19 +338,17 @@ gst_tcp_client_sink_start (GstBaseSink * bsink)
     GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (this, RESOURCE, OPEN_READ, (NULL),
         ("Failed to create socket: %s", err->message));
     g_clear_error (&err);
-    g_object_unref (saddr);
     return FALSE;
   }
 name_resolve:
   {
     if (g_error_matches (err, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_CANCELLED)) {
-      GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (this, "Cancelled name resolval");
+      GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (this, "Cancelled name resolution");
     } else {
       GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (this, RESOURCE, OPEN_READ, (NULL),
           ("Failed to resolve host '%s': %s", this->host, err->message));
     }
     g_clear_error (&err);
-    g_object_unref (resolver);
     return FALSE;
   }
 connect_failed:
@@ -370,7 +361,6 @@ gst_tcp_client_sink_start (GstBaseSink * bsink)
               err->message));
     }
     g_clear_error (&err);
-    g_object_unref (saddr);
     /* pretend we opened ok for proper cleanup to happen */
     GST_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (this, GST_TCP_CLIENT_SINK_OPEN);
     gst_tcp_client_sink_stop (GST_BASE_SINK (this));