diff --git a/docs/INTERNALS b/docs/INTERNALS
index 54119cf79..9d0bdbaa1 100644
--- a/docs/INTERNALS
+++ b/docs/INTERNALS
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Portability
  GnuTLS       1.2
  zlib         1.1.4
  libssh2      0.16
- c-ares       1.5.0
+ c-ares       1.6.0
  libidn       0.4.1
  *yassl       1.4.0 (http://curl.haxx.se/mail/lib-2008-02/0093.html)
  openldap     2.0
diff --git a/lib/easy.c b/lib/easy.c
index bebeeb17f..1f839fe24 100644
--- a/lib/easy.c
+++ b/lib/easy.c
@@ -700,8 +700,9 @@ CURL *curl_easy_duphandle(CURL *incurl)
     }
 
 #ifdef USE_ARES
-    /* If we use ares, we setup a new ares channel for the new handle */
-    if(ARES_SUCCESS != ares_init(&outcurl->state.areschannel))
+    /* If we use ares, we clone the ares channel for the new handle */
+    if(ARES_SUCCESS != ares_dup(&outcurl->state.areschannel,
+                                data->state.areschannel))
       break;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/m4/curl-confopts.m4 b/m4/curl-confopts.m4
index 11fdd5301..bb25bb925 100644
--- a/m4/curl-confopts.m4
+++ b/m4/curl-confopts.m4
@@ -472,6 +472,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([CURL_CHECK_LIB_ARES], [
           ares_channel channel;
           ares_cancel(channel); /* added in 1.2.0 */
           ares_process_fd(channel, 0, 0); /* added in 1.4.0 */
+          ares_dup(&channel, channel); /* added in 1.6.0 */
         ]])
       ],[
         AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])