diff --git a/sbin/ping/main.c b/sbin/ping/main.c
--- a/sbin/ping/main.c
+++ b/sbin/ping/main.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <sysexits.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "main.h"
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@
 #endif
 #if defined(INET) && defined(INET6)
 	struct addrinfo hints, *res, *ai;
+	const char *target;
 	int error;
 #endif
 	int opt;
@@ -119,6 +121,7 @@
 		usage();
 
 #if defined(INET) && defined(INET6)
+	target = argv[argc - 1];
 	memset(&hints, 0, sizeof(hints));
 	hints.ai_socktype = SOCK_RAW;
 	if (feature_present("inet") && !feature_present("inet6"))
@@ -127,9 +130,10 @@
 		hints.ai_family = AF_INET6;
 	else
 		hints.ai_family = AF_UNSPEC;
-	error = getaddrinfo(argv[argc - 1], NULL, &hints, &res);
+	error = getaddrinfo(target, NULL, &hints, &res);
 	if (res == NULL)
-		errx(1, "%s", gai_strerror(error));
+		errx(EX_NOHOST, "cannot resolve %s: %s",
+		    target, gai_strerror(error));
 	for (ai = res; ai != NULL; ai = ai->ai_next) {
 		if (ai->ai_family == AF_INET) {
 			freeaddrinfo(res);
@@ -141,7 +145,7 @@
 		}
 	}
 	freeaddrinfo(res);
-	errx(1, "Unknown host");
+	errx(EX_NOHOST, "cannot resolve %s", target);
 #endif
 #ifdef INET
 ping4:
diff --git a/sbin/ping/ping6.c b/sbin/ping/ping6.c
--- a/sbin/ping/ping6.c
+++ b/sbin/ping/ping6.c
@@ -677,14 +677,15 @@
 
 	error = cap_getaddrinfo(capdns, target, NULL, &hints, &res);
 	if (error)
-		errx(1, "%s", gai_strerror(error));
+		errx(EX_NOHOST, "cannot resolve %s: %s",
+		    target, gai_strerror(error));
 	if (res->ai_canonname)
 		hostname = strdup(res->ai_canonname);
 	else
 		hostname = target;
 
 	if (!res->ai_addr)
-		errx(1, "cap_getaddrinfo failed");
+		errx(EX_NOHOST, "cannot resolve %s", target);
 
 	(void)memcpy(&dst, res->ai_addr, res->ai_addrlen);
 
diff --git a/sbin/ping/tests/ping_test.sh b/sbin/ping/tests/ping_test.sh
--- a/sbin/ping/tests/ping_test.sh
+++ b/sbin/ping/tests/ping_test.sh
@@ -165,6 +165,39 @@
 	    ping6 -4 localhost
 }
 
+atf_test_case ping_nohost
+ping_nohost_head()
+{
+	atf_set "descr" "ping a nonexistent host"
+}
+ping_nohost_body()
+{
+	atf_check -s exit:68 -e match:"cannot resolve" \
+	    ping nonexistent.in-addr.arpa.
+}
+
+atf_test_case ping4_nohost
+ping4_nohost_head()
+{
+	atf_set "descr" "ping -4 a nonexistent host"
+}
+ping4_nohost_body()
+{
+	atf_check -s exit:68 -e match:"cannot resolve" \
+	    ping -4 nonexistent.in-addr.arpa.
+}
+
+atf_test_case ping6_nohost
+ping6_nohost_head()
+{
+	atf_set "descr" "ping -6 a nonexistent host"
+}
+ping6_nohost_body()
+{
+	atf_check -s exit:68 -e match:"cannot resolve" \
+	    ping -6 nnonexistent.in-addr.arpa.
+}
+
 atf_test_case "inject_opts" "cleanup"
 inject_opts_head()
 {
@@ -227,6 +260,9 @@
 	atf_add_test_case ping_46
 	atf_add_test_case ping_64
 	atf_add_test_case ping6_4
+	atf_add_test_case ping_nohost
+	atf_add_test_case ping4_nohost
+	atf_add_test_case ping6_nohost
 	atf_add_test_case inject_opts
 	atf_add_test_case inject_pip
 	atf_add_test_case inject_reply