diff --git a/lib/libc/net/nsdispatch.c b/lib/libc/net/nsdispatch.c
--- a/lib/libc/net/nsdispatch.c
+++ b/lib/libc/net/nsdispatch.c
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <pthread_np.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <syslog.h>
@@ -124,10 +125,10 @@
 
 #ifdef NS_CACHING
 /*
- * Cache lookup cycle prevention function - if !NULL then no cache lookups
+ * Cache lookup cycle prevention symbol - if !NULL then no cache lookups
  * will be made
  */
-static	void			*nss_cache_cycle_prevention_func = NULL;
+static	void			*nss_cache_cycle_prevention_sym = NULL;
 #endif
 
 /*
@@ -394,8 +395,8 @@
 #ifdef NS_CACHING
 	handle = libc_dlopen(NULL, RTLD_LAZY | RTLD_GLOBAL);
 	if (handle != NULL) {
-		nss_cache_cycle_prevention_func = dlsym(handle,
-		    "_nss_cache_cycle_prevention_function");
+		nss_cache_cycle_prevention_sym = dlsym(handle,
+		    "_nss_cache_cycle_prevention_symbol");
 		dlclose(handle);
 	}
 #endif
@@ -641,6 +642,13 @@
 	nss_cache_data	 cache_data;
 	nss_cache_data	*cache_data_p;
 	int		 cache_flag;
+	bool		 seen_cache;
+	bool		 is_nscd;
+
+	seen_cache = 0;
+	cache_flag = 0;
+	cache_data_p = NULL;
+	is_nscd = nss_cache_cycle_prevention_sym != NULL;
 #endif
 	
 	dbt = NULL;
@@ -685,19 +693,28 @@
 			srclistsize++;
 	}
 
+	for (i = 0; i < srclistsize; i++) {
 #ifdef NS_CACHING
-	cache_data_p = NULL;
-	cache_flag = 0;
+		bool is_cache;
+
+		is_cache = strcmp(srclist[i].name, NSSRC_CACHE) == 0;
+
+		if (is_cache) {
+			seen_cache = 1;
+
+			if (is_nscd) {
+				/* don't try to call nscd inside nscd */
+				continue;
+			}
+		}
 #endif
-	for (i = 0; i < srclistsize; i++) {
 		result = NS_NOTFOUND;
 		method = nss_method_lookup(srclist[i].name, database,
 		    method_name, disp_tab, &mdata);
 
 		if (method != NULL) {
 #ifdef NS_CACHING
-			if (strcmp(srclist[i].name, NSSRC_CACHE) == 0 &&
-			    nss_cache_cycle_prevention_func == NULL) {
+			if (is_cache) {
 #ifdef NS_STRICT_LIBC_EID_CHECKING
 				if (issetugid() != 0)
 					continue;
@@ -733,8 +750,6 @@
 			va_end(ap);
 #endif /* NS_CACHING */
 
-			if (result & (srclist[i].flags))
-				break;
 		} else {
 			if (fb_method != NULL) {
 				saved_depth = st->fallback_depth;
@@ -749,10 +764,12 @@
 				    "and no fallback provided",
 				    srclist[i].name, database, method_name);
 		}
+		if (result & (srclist[i].flags))
+			break;
 	}
 
 #ifdef NS_CACHING
-	if (cache_data_p != NULL &&
+	if (!is_nscd && seen_cache && cache_data_p != NULL &&
 	    (result & (NS_NOTFOUND | NS_SUCCESS)) && cache_flag == 0) {
 		va_start(ap, defaults);
 		if (result == NS_SUCCESS) {