diff -urN netkit-bootparamd-0.17.old/rpc.bootparamd/rpc.bootparamd.c netkit-bootparamd-0.17/rpc.bootparamd/rpc.bootparamd.c
--- netkit-bootparamd-0.17.old/rpc.bootparamd/rpc.bootparamd.c	2000-07-22 12:23:56.000000000 -0400
+++ netkit-bootparamd-0.17/rpc.bootparamd/rpc.bootparamd.c	2004-09-13 17:42:43.000000000 -0400
@@ -136,11 +136,16 @@
 	    strncpy(path, where, sizeof(path));
 	    path[sizeof(path)-1] = 0;
 	    he = gethostbyname(hostname);
-	    if (!he) goto failed;
-	    bcopy( he->h_addr, &res.server_address.bp_address_u.ip_addr, 4);
-	    res.server_name = hostname;
-	    res.server_path = path;
-	    res.server_address.address_type = IP_ADDR_TYPE;
+	    if (!he) {	/* jumpstart parameters are not valid hosts */
+		res.server_name = hostname;
+		res.server_path = path;
+		bzero(&res.server_address.bp_address_u.ip_addr,4);
+	    } else {
+	    	bcopy( he->h_addr, &res.server_address.bp_address_u.ip_addr, 4);
+	        res.server_name = hostname;
+		res.server_path = path;
+		res.server_address.address_type = IP_ADDR_TYPE;
+	    }
 	}
 	else { /* special for dump, answer with null strings */
 	    if (!strcmp(getfile->file_id, "dump")) {