diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.c b/src/network/networkd-link.c
index 0b634572a9..b7743557ec 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.c
@@ -854,28 +854,26 @@ static int address_handler(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *m, void *userda
 static int link_push_dns_to_dhcp_server(Link *link, sd_dhcp_server *s) {
         _cleanup_free_ struct in_addr *addresses = NULL;
         size_t n_addresses = 0, n_allocated = 0;
-        char **a;
+        unsigned i;
 
         log_debug("Copying DNS server information from %s", link->ifname);
 
         if (!link->network)
                 return 0;
 
-        STRV_FOREACH(a, link->network->dns) {
-                struct in_addr ia;
+        for (i = 0; i < link->network->n_dns; i++) {
 
                 /* Only look for IPv4 addresses */
-                if (inet_pton(AF_INET, *a, &ia) <= 0)
+                if (link->network->dns[i].family != AF_INET)
                         continue;
 
                 if (!GREEDY_REALLOC(addresses, n_allocated, n_addresses + 1))
                         return log_oom();
 
-                addresses[n_addresses++] = ia;
+                addresses[n_addresses++] = link->network->dns[i].address.in;
         }
 
-        if (link->network->dhcp_use_dns &&
-            link->dhcp_lease) {
+        if (link->network->dhcp_use_dns && link->dhcp_lease) {
                 const struct in_addr *da = NULL;
                 int n;
 
@@ -919,8 +917,7 @@ static int link_push_ntp_to_dhcp_server(Link *link, sd_dhcp_server *s) {
                 addresses[n_addresses++] = ia;
         }
 
-        if (link->network->dhcp_use_ntp &&
-            link->dhcp_lease) {
+        if (link->network->dhcp_use_ntp && link->dhcp_lease) {
                 const struct in_addr *da = NULL;
                 int n;
 
@@ -3235,7 +3232,7 @@ int link_save(Link *link) {
         if (r < 0)
                 goto fail;
 
-        fchmod(fileno(f), 0644);
+        (void) fchmod(fileno(f), 0644);
 
         fprintf(f,
                 "# This is private data. Do not parse.\n"
@@ -3248,6 +3245,7 @@ int link_save(Link *link) {
                 sd_dhcp6_lease *dhcp6_lease = NULL;
                 const char *dhcp_domainname = NULL;
                 char **dhcp6_domains = NULL;
+                unsigned j;
 
                 if (link->dhcp6_client) {
                         r = sd_dhcp6_client_get_lease(link->dhcp6_client, &dhcp6_lease);
@@ -3259,7 +3257,22 @@ int link_save(Link *link) {
 
                 fputs("DNS=", f);
                 space = false;
-                fputstrv(f, link->network->dns, NULL, &space);
+
+                for (j = 0; j < link->network->n_dns; j++) {
+                        _cleanup_free_ char *b = NULL;
+
+                        r = in_addr_to_string(link->network->dns[j].family,
+                                              &link->network->dns[j].address,  &b);
+                        if (r < 0) {
+                                log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to format address, ignoring: %m");
+                                continue;
+                        }
+
+                        if (space)
+                                fputc(' ', f);
+                        fputs(b, f);
+                        space = true;
+                }
 
                 if (link->network->dhcp_use_dns &&
                     link->dhcp_lease) {
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-manager.c b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
index a1252c9b51..c3d3f48a3f 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-manager.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
@@ -774,11 +774,48 @@ static int manager_connect_rtnl(Manager *m) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-static int ordered_set_put_in_addr(OrderedSet *s, const struct in_addr *address) {
+static int ordered_set_put_in_addr_data(OrderedSet *s, const struct in_addr_data *address) {
         char *p;
         int r;
 
         assert(s);
+        assert(address);
+
+        r = in_addr_to_string(address->family, &address->address, &p);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        r = ordered_set_consume(s, p);
+        if (r == -EEXIST)
+                return 0;
+
+        return r;
+}
+
+static int ordered_set_put_in_addr_datav(OrderedSet *s, const struct in_addr_data *addresses, unsigned n) {
+        int r, c = 0;
+        unsigned i;
+
+        assert(s);
+        assert(addresses || n == 0);
+
+        for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+                r = ordered_set_put_in_addr_data(s, addresses+i);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return r;
+
+                c += r;
+        }
+
+        return c;
+}
+
+static int ordered_set_put_in4_addr(OrderedSet *s, const struct in_addr *address) {
+        char *p;
+        int r;
+
+        assert(s);
+        assert(address);
 
         r = in_addr_to_string(AF_INET, (const union in_addr_union*) address, &p);
         if (r < 0)
@@ -791,14 +828,15 @@ static int ordered_set_put_in_addr(OrderedSet *s, const struct in_addr *address)
         return r;
 }
 
-static int ordered_set_put_in_addrv(OrderedSet *s, const struct in_addr *addresses, int n) {
-        int r, i, c = 0;
+static int ordered_set_put_in4_addrv(OrderedSet *s, const struct in_addr *addresses, unsigned n) {
+        int r, c = 0;
+        unsigned i;
 
         assert(s);
-        assert(n <= 0 || addresses);
+        assert(n == 0 || addresses);
 
         for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
-                r = ordered_set_put_in_addr(s, addresses+i);
+                r = ordered_set_put_in4_addr(s, addresses+i);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
 
@@ -865,7 +903,7 @@ static int manager_save(Manager *m) {
                         continue;
 
                 /* First add the static configured entries */
-                r = ordered_set_put_strdupv(dns, link->network->dns);
+                r = ordered_set_put_in_addr_datav(dns, link->network->dns, link->network->n_dns);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
 
@@ -890,7 +928,7 @@ static int manager_save(Manager *m) {
 
                         r = sd_dhcp_lease_get_dns(link->dhcp_lease, &addresses);
                         if (r > 0) {
-                                r = ordered_set_put_in_addrv(dns, addresses, r);
+                                r = ordered_set_put_in4_addrv(dns, addresses, r);
                                 if (r < 0)
                                         return r;
                         } else if (r < 0 && r != -ENODATA)
@@ -902,7 +940,7 @@ static int manager_save(Manager *m) {
 
                         r = sd_dhcp_lease_get_ntp(link->dhcp_lease, &addresses);
                         if (r > 0) {
-                                r = ordered_set_put_in_addrv(ntp, addresses, r);
+                                r = ordered_set_put_in4_addrv(ntp, addresses, r);
                                 if (r < 0)
                                         return r;
                         } else if (r < 0 && r != -ENODATA)
@@ -934,7 +972,7 @@ static int manager_save(Manager *m) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        fchmod(fileno(f), 0644);
+        (void) fchmod(fileno(f), 0644);
 
         fprintf(f,
                 "# This is private data. Do not parse.\n"
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-network.c b/src/network/networkd-network.c
index e3a77c2152..bc4dc95ff9 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-network.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-network.c
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ void network_free(Network *network) {
         free(network->mac);
 
         strv_free(network->ntp);
-        strv_free(network->dns);
+        free(network->dns);
         strv_free(network->search_domains);
         strv_free(network->route_domains);
         strv_free(network->bind_carrier);
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ int network_apply(Network *network, Link *link) {
                 route->protocol = RTPROT_STATIC;
         }
 
-        if (!strv_isempty(network->dns) ||
+        if (network->n_dns > 0 ||
             !strv_isempty(network->ntp) ||
             !strv_isempty(network->search_domains) ||
             !strv_isempty(network->route_domains))
@@ -1004,29 +1004,35 @@ int config_parse_dns(
         for (;;) {
                 _cleanup_free_ char *w = NULL;
                 union in_addr_union a;
+                struct in_addr_data *m;
                 int family;
 
-                r = extract_first_word(&rvalue, &w, NULL, EXTRACT_QUOTES|EXTRACT_RETAIN_ESCAPE);
-                if (r == 0)
-                        break;
+                r = extract_first_word(&rvalue, &w, NULL, 0);
                 if (r == -ENOMEM)
                         return log_oom();
                 if (r < 0) {
                         log_syntax(unit, LOG_ERR, filename, line, r, "Invalid syntax, ignoring: %s", rvalue);
                         break;
                 }
+                if (r == 0)
+                        break;
 
                 r = in_addr_from_string_auto(w, &family, &a);
                 if (r < 0) {
-                        log_syntax(unit, LOG_ERR, filename, line, 0, "Failed to parse dns server address, ignoring: %s", w);
+                        log_syntax(unit, LOG_ERR, filename, line, r, "Failed to parse dns server address, ignoring: %s", w);
                         continue;
                 }
 
-                r = strv_consume(&n->dns, w);
-                if (r < 0)
+                m = realloc(n->dns, (n->n_dns + 1) * sizeof(struct in_addr_data));
+                if (!m)
                         return log_oom();
 
-                w = NULL;
+                m[n->n_dns++] = (struct in_addr_data) {
+                        .family = family,
+                        .address = a,
+                };
+
+                n->dns = m;
         }
 
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-network.h b/src/network/networkd-network.h
index 735d7f7a77..17cff956da 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-network.h
+++ b/src/network/networkd-network.h
@@ -194,7 +194,10 @@ struct Network {
         Hashmap *routes_by_section;
         Hashmap *fdb_entries_by_section;
 
-        char **search_domains, **route_domains, **dns, **ntp, **bind_carrier;
+        struct in_addr_data *dns;
+        unsigned n_dns;
+
+        char **search_domains, **route_domains, **ntp, **bind_carrier;
 
         ResolveSupport llmnr;
         ResolveSupport mdns;