---
name: "resolvd"
section: "8"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/resolvd"
---

# resolvd(8)

a daemon to handle nameserver configuration

## NAME

**resolvd** – a daemon to handle nameserver configuration

## SYNOPSIS

**resolvd** \[**-dv**\]

## DESCRIPTION

**resolvd** handles the contents of */etc/resolv.conf*, which contains details of the system's DNS nameservers, and is read by the resolver routines in the C library. Nameservers are learned from various sources, incorporated in a priority order, then user-edited information found in the pre-existing file is re-appended.

**resolvd** checks whether [unwind(8)](/unwind/8.md) is running and, if so, places a nameserver line at the top to cause local resolution:

```
nameserver 127.0.0.1
```

**resolvd** also monitors the routing socket for proposals learned by [dhcpleased(8)](/dhcpleased/8.md), [iked(8)](/iked/8.md), [slaacd(8)](/slaacd/8.md), or network devices which natively learn DNS information such as [sppp(4)](/sppp/4.md) or [umb(4)](/umb/4.md). Proposals can be sent manually using the [route(8)](/route/8.md) **nameserver** command. The proposals are added in priority order, but commented out if [unwind(8)](/unwind/8.md) is running.

After that, **resolvd** appends all user-edited lines found in the file.

**resolvd** also notices if the */etc/resolv.conf* file is edited, and will rewrite the file, re-blending the various pieces of information. It will also create */etc/resolv.conf* if it does not exist or if it is empty.

The options are as follows:

- **-d**

  Do not daemonize. If this option is specified, **resolvd** will run in the foreground and log to *stderr*.

- **-v**

  Produce more verbose output.

## SEE ALSO

[resolv.conf(5)](/resolv.conf/5.md), [dhcpleased(8)](/dhcpleased/8.md), [route(8)](/route/8.md), [slaacd(8)](/slaacd/8.md), [unwind(8)](/unwind/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **resolvd** program first appeared in OpenBSD 6.9.