diff --git a/src/libCom/misc/ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous.cpp b/src/libCom/misc/ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous.cpp
index 20ab1d9c3..c6de17620 100644
--- a/src/libCom/misc/ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous.cpp
+++ b/src/libCom/misc/ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous.cpp
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ void ipAddrToAsciiEngine::run ()
             {
                 epicsGuard < epicsMutex > locker ( ipAddrToAsciiEngine::mutex );
                 if ( this->pCurrent ) {
+                    this->pCurrent->pEngine = 0;
                     this->callbackInProgress = true;
                 }
                 else {
@@ -94,10 +95,7 @@ void ipAddrToAsciiEngine::run ()
 
             {
                 epicsGuard < epicsMutex > locker ( ipAddrToAsciiEngine::mutex );
-                if ( this->pCurrent ) {
-                    this->pCurrent->pEngine = 0;
-                    this->pCurrent = 0;
-                }
+                this->pCurrent = 0;
                 this->callbackInProgress = false;
             }
             if ( this->cancelPending  ) {
@@ -173,7 +171,7 @@ ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous::~ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous ()
     }
 }
 
-epicsShareFunc bool ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous::ioInitiate ( ipAddrToAsciiEngine & engine )
+epicsShareFunc void ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous::ioInitiate ( ipAddrToAsciiEngine & engine )
 {
     bool success;
 
@@ -193,8 +191,12 @@ epicsShareFunc bool ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous::ioInitiate ( ipAddrToAsciiEngine
     if ( success ) {
         engine.laborEvent.signal ();
     }
-
-    return success;
+    else {
+        char autoNameTmp[256];
+        sockAddrToA ( &this->addr.sa, autoNameTmp, 
+            sizeof ( autoNameTmp ) );
+        this->ioCompletionNotify ( autoNameTmp );
+    }
 }
 
 void ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous::show ( unsigned level ) const
diff --git a/src/libCom/misc/ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous.h b/src/libCom/misc/ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous.h
index 6bf3f42e9..e886b9084 100644
--- a/src/libCom/misc/ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous.h
+++ b/src/libCom/misc/ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous.h
@@ -56,15 +56,14 @@ private:
 // - this class implements the asynchronous DNS query
 // - it completes early with the host name in dotted IP address form 
 //   if the ipAddrToAsciiEngine is destroyed before IO completion
-// - ioInitiate fails if there are too many items already in
-//   the engine's queue.
+//   or if there are too many items already in the engine's queue.
 // 
 class ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous : 
     public tsDLNode < ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous > {
 public:
     epicsShareFunc ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous ( const osiSockAddr & addr );
     epicsShareFunc virtual ~ipAddrToAsciiAsynchronous ();
-    epicsShareFunc bool ioInitiate ( ipAddrToAsciiEngine &engine );
+    epicsShareFunc void ioInitiate ( ipAddrToAsciiEngine & engine );
     epicsShareFunc bool identicalAddress ( const osiSockAddr & addr ) const;
     epicsShareFunc osiSockAddr address () const;
     epicsShareFunc void show ( unsigned level ) const;