diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java
index 2e64640033df4..5eec0b7692f92 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java
@@ -3593,8 +3593,14 @@ public class ConnectivityService extends IConnectivityManager.Stub
 //            updateMtu(lp, null);
 //        }
         updateTcpBufferSizes(networkAgent);
+
+        // TODO: deprecate and remove mDefaultDns when we can do so safely.
+        // For now, use it only when the network has Internet access. http://b/18327075
+        final boolean useDefaultDns = networkAgent.networkCapabilities.hasCapability(
+                NetworkCapabilities.NET_CAPABILITY_INTERNET);
         final boolean flushDns = updateRoutes(newLp, oldLp, netId);
-        updateDnses(newLp, oldLp, netId, flushDns);
+        updateDnses(newLp, oldLp, netId, flushDns, useDefaultDns);
+
         updateClat(newLp, oldLp, networkAgent);
         if (isDefaultNetwork(networkAgent)) handleApplyDefaultProxy(newLp.getHttpProxy());
         // TODO - move this check to cover the whole function
@@ -3688,10 +3694,11 @@ public class ConnectivityService extends IConnectivityManager.Stub
         }
         return !routeDiff.added.isEmpty() || !routeDiff.removed.isEmpty();
     }
-    private void updateDnses(LinkProperties newLp, LinkProperties oldLp, int netId, boolean flush) {
+    private void updateDnses(LinkProperties newLp, LinkProperties oldLp, int netId,
+                             boolean flush, boolean useDefaultDns) {
         if (oldLp == null || (newLp.isIdenticalDnses(oldLp) == false)) {
             Collection<InetAddress> dnses = newLp.getDnsServers();
-            if (dnses.size() == 0 && mDefaultDns != null) {
+            if (dnses.size() == 0 && mDefaultDns != null && useDefaultDns) {
                 dnses = new ArrayList();
                 dnses.add(mDefaultDns);
                 if (DBG) {
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/NetworkManagementService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/NetworkManagementService.java
index 5fe0d1cada4e9..748018dd1568f 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/NetworkManagementService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/NetworkManagementService.java
@@ -1710,14 +1710,18 @@ public class NetworkManagementService extends INetworkManagementService.Stub
     public void setDnsServersForNetwork(int netId, String[] servers, String domains) {
         mContext.enforceCallingOrSelfPermission(CONNECTIVITY_INTERNAL, TAG);
 
-        final Command cmd = new Command("resolver", "setnetdns", netId,
-                (domains == null ? "" : domains));
-
-        for (String s : servers) {
-            InetAddress a = NetworkUtils.numericToInetAddress(s);
-            if (a.isAnyLocalAddress() == false) {
-                cmd.appendArg(a.getHostAddress());
+        Command cmd;
+        if (servers.length > 0) {
+            cmd = new Command("resolver", "setnetdns", netId,
+                    (domains == null ? "" : domains));
+            for (String s : servers) {
+                InetAddress a = NetworkUtils.numericToInetAddress(s);
+                if (a.isAnyLocalAddress() == false) {
+                    cmd.appendArg(a.getHostAddress());
+                }
             }
+        } else {
+            cmd = new Command("resolver", "clearnetdns", netId);
         }
 
         try {