diff --git a/include/types/dns.h b/include/types/dns.h
index 50636fd1fa..1b240fae4c 100644
--- a/include/types/dns.h
+++ b/include/types/dns.h
@@ -62,22 +62,13 @@
 
 /* DNS request or response header structure */
 struct dns_header {
-	unsigned short	id:16;		/* identifier */
-	unsigned char	rd :1;		/* recursion desired 0: no, 1: yes */
-	unsigned char	tc :1;		/* truncation 0:no, 1: yes */
-	unsigned char	aa :1;		/* authoritative answer 0: no, 1: yes */
-	unsigned char	opcode :4;	/* operation code */
-	unsigned char	qr :1;		/* query/response 0: query, 1: response */
-	unsigned char	rcode :4;	/* response code */
-	unsigned char	cd :1;		/* checking disabled */
-	unsigned char	ad :1;		/* authentic data */
-	unsigned char	z :1;		/* not used */
-	unsigned char	ra :1;		/* recursion available 0: no, 1: yes */
-	unsigned short	qdcount :16;	/* question count */
-	unsigned short	ancount :16;	/* answer count */
-	unsigned short	nscount :16;	/* authority count */
-	unsigned short	arcount :16;	/* additional count */
-};
+	uint16_t id;
+	uint16_t flags;
+	uint16_t qdcount;
+	uint16_t ancount;
+	uint16_t nscount;
+	uint16_t arcount;
+} __attribute__ ((packed));
 
 /* short structure to describe a DNS question */
 struct dns_question {
diff --git a/src/dns.c b/src/dns.c
index bf5baa0c72..7f4c59ad97 100644
--- a/src/dns.c
+++ b/src/dns.c
@@ -988,14 +988,7 @@ int dns_build_query(int query_id, int query_type, char *hostname_dn, int hostnam
 	/* set dns query headers */
 	dns = (struct dns_header *)ptr;
 	dns->id = (unsigned short) htons(query_id);
-	dns->qr = 0;			/* query */
-	dns->opcode = 0;
-	dns->aa = 0;
-	dns->tc = 0;
-	dns->rd = 1;			/* recursion desired */
-	dns->ra = 0;
-	dns->z = 0;
-	dns->rcode = 0;
+	dns->flags = htons(0x0100); /* qr=0, opcode=0, aa=0, tc=0, rd=1, ra=0, z=0, rcode=0 */
 	dns->qdcount = htons(1);	/* 1 question */
 	dns->ancount = 0;
 	dns->nscount = 0;