diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
index 4aab7bda1c0..36b4aa08486 100644
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -1466,6 +1466,12 @@ void ThreadOpenAddedConnections()
         }
 
         list<vector<CService> > lservAddressesToAdd(0);
+        // Numeric (IP-literal) -addnode addresses that still need a connection.
+        // Such entries cost no DNS, so a resolution failure can never explain them
+        // being unconnected -- only a transient connect failure can -- and they
+        // should be retried promptly rather than after the full 2-minute
+        // name-resolution backoff.
+        std::vector<CService> vIpLiteralAddrs;
         BOOST_FOREACH(const std::string& strAddNode, lAddresses) {
             vector<CService> vservNode(0);
             if(Lookup(strAddNode.c_str(), vservNode, Params().GetDefaultPort(), fNameLookup, 0))
@@ -1476,6 +1482,19 @@ void ThreadOpenAddedConnections()
                     BOOST_FOREACH(const CService& serv, vservNode)
                         setservAddNodeAddresses.insert(serv);
                 }
+                // Did this entry resolve with no DNS (a bare IP literal)? If so,
+                // track its addresses so we can shorten the retry backoff below.
+                CService servLiteral;
+                if (LookupNumeric(strAddNode.c_str(), servLiteral, Params().GetDefaultPort()))
+                    BOOST_FOREACH(const CService& serv, vservNode)
+                        vIpLiteralAddrs.push_back(serv);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // Previously skipped silently, leaving the user with no clue why an
+                // -addnode never connected. A name that fails to resolve here will
+                // be retried on the next loop iteration.
+                LogPrintf("ThreadOpenAddedConnections: could not resolve -addnode=%s; will retry\n", strAddNode);
             }
         }
         // Attempt to connect to each IP for each addnode entry until at least one is successful per addnode entry
@@ -1498,7 +1517,23 @@ void ThreadOpenAddedConnections()
             OpenNetworkConnection(CAddress(vserv[i % vserv.size()]), &grant);
             MilliSleep(500);
         }
-        MilliSleep(120000); // Retry every 2 minutes
+        // Is any IP-literal -addnode still not connected? If so, retry it quickly
+        // (no DNS to wait on); otherwise -- only name entries pending, or all
+        // connected -- keep the longer interval so we don't hammer DNS.
+        bool fHaveIpLiteralPending = false;
+        {
+            LOCK(cs_vNodes);
+            BOOST_FOREACH(const CService& addrLit, vIpLiteralAddrs) {
+                bool fConnected = false;
+                BOOST_FOREACH(CNode* pnode, vNodes)
+                    if (pnode->addr == addrLit) { fConnected = true; break; }
+                if (!fConnected) { fHaveIpLiteralPending = true; break; }
+            }
+        }
+        // IP-literal -addnode entries need no DNS, so retry them quickly instead of
+        // waiting the full 2-minute name-resolution backoff; name entries keep the
+        // longer interval so we don't hammer DNS.
+        MilliSleep(fHaveIpLiteralPending ? 15000 : 120000);
     }
 }