diff --git a/proxy/http/HttpTransact.cc b/proxy/http/HttpTransact.cc
index e4a98f0b35d..d20e9f5c018 100644
--- a/proxy/http/HttpTransact.cc
+++ b/proxy/http/HttpTransact.cc
@@ -1588,9 +1588,7 @@ HttpTransact::HandleRequest(State *s)
 
   // if ip in url or cop test page, not do srv lookup.
   if (s->txn_conf->srv_enabled) {
-    IpEndpoint addr;
-    ats_ip_pton(s->server_info.name, &addr);
-    s->my_txn_conf().srv_enabled = !ats_is_ip(&addr);
+    s->my_txn_conf().srv_enabled = !s->server_info.name_addr.is_valid();
   }
 
   // if the request is a trace or options request, decrement the
@@ -1608,10 +1606,8 @@ HttpTransact::HandleRequest(State *s)
     // we need to see if the hostname is an
     //   ip address since the parent selection code result
     //   could change as a result of this ip address
-    IpEndpoint addr;
-    ats_ip_pton(s->server_info.name, &addr);
-    if (ats_is_ip(&addr)) {
-      ats_ip_copy(&s->request_data.dest_ip, &addr);
+    if (s->server_info.name_addr.is_valid()) {
+      s->server_info.name_addr.copy_to(&s->request_data.dest_ip.sa);
     }
 
     if (parentExists(s)) {
@@ -1632,8 +1628,7 @@ HttpTransact::HandleRequest(State *s)
   // Added to skip the dns if the document is in the cache.
   // DNS is requested before cache lookup only if there are rules in cache.config , parent.config or
   // if the newly added variable doc_in_cache_skip_dns is not enabled
-  if (s->dns_info.lookup_name[0] <= '9' && s->dns_info.lookup_name[0] >= '0' &&
-      (!s->state_machine->enable_redirection || !s->redirect_info.redirect_in_process) &&
+  if (s->server_info.name_addr.is_valid() && (!s->state_machine->enable_redirection || !s->redirect_info.redirect_in_process) &&
       s->parent_params->parent_table->hostMatch) {
     s->force_dns = true;
   }
@@ -2019,7 +2014,7 @@ HttpTransact::OSDNSLookup(State *s)
     // or we're locked on a plugin supplied address.
     // therefore no more backtracking - return to trying the server.
     TRANSACT_RETURN(how_to_open_connection(s), HttpTransact::HandleResponse);
-  } else if (s->dns_info.lookup_name[0] <= '9' && s->dns_info.lookup_name[0] >= '0' && s->parent_params->parent_table->hostMatch &&
+  } else if (s->server_info.name_addr.is_valid() && s->parent_params->parent_table->hostMatch &&
              !s->txn_conf->no_dns_forward_to_parent) {
     // note, broken logic: ACC fudges the OR stmt to always be true,
     // 'AuthHttpAdapter' should do the rev-dns if needed, not here .
@@ -5705,6 +5700,7 @@ HttpTransact::initialize_state_variables_from_request(State *s, HTTPHdr *obsolet
 
   if (!s->server_info.name || s->redirect_info.redirect_in_process) {
     s->server_info.name = s->arena.str_store(host_name, host_len);
+    s->server_info.name_addr.load(s->server_info.name);
   }
 
   s->next_hop_scheme = s->scheme = incoming_request->url_get()->scheme_get_wksidx();
diff --git a/proxy/http/HttpTransact.h b/proxy/http/HttpTransact.h
index ff32c2d0273..1c79843f282 100644
--- a/proxy/http/HttpTransact.h
+++ b/proxy/http/HttpTransact.h
@@ -525,8 +525,9 @@ class HttpTransact
     bool proxy_connect_hdr        = false;
     /// @c errno from the most recent attempt to connect.
     /// zero means no failure (not attempted, succeeded).
-    int connect_result                   = 0;
-    char *name                           = nullptr;
+    int connect_result = 0;
+    char *name         = nullptr;
+    swoc::IPAddr name_addr;
     TransferEncoding_t transfer_encoding = NO_TRANSFER_ENCODING;
 
     /** This is the source address of the connection from the point of view of the transaction.