diff --git a/whois.c b/whois.c
index 588c73d..c92389c 100644
--- a/whois.c
+++ b/whois.c
@@ -351,9 +351,9 @@ int handle_query(const char *hserver, const char *hport,
 	case 4:
 	    if (verb)
 		printf(_("Using server %s.\n"), server + 1);
-	    sockfd = openconn(server + 1, NULL);
-	    free(server);
-	    server = query_crsnic(sockfd, query);
+	    old_server = server;
+	    server = query_verisign(server + 1, NULL, query);
+	    free(old_server);
 	    if (no_recursion && server)
 		server[0] = '\0';
 	    break;
@@ -1012,11 +1012,12 @@ char *query_server(const char *server, const char *port, const char *query)
     return referral_server;
 }
 
-char *query_crsnic(const int sock, const char *query)
+char *query_verisign(const char *server, const char *port, const char *query)
 {
     char *temp, *p, buf[2000];
     FILE *fi;
     int hide = hide_discl;
+    int sock;
     char *referral_server = NULL;
     int state = 0;
     int dotscount = 0;
@@ -1034,6 +1035,7 @@ char *query_crsnic(const int sock, const char *query)
     strcat(temp, query);
     strcat(temp, "\r\n");
 
+    sock = openconn(server, port);
     fi = fdopen(sock, "r");
     if (!fi)
 	err_sys("fdopen");
diff --git a/whois.h b/whois.h
index a5d678c..22a7c56 100644
--- a/whois.h
+++ b/whois.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const char *whereas(const unsigned long);
 char *queryformat(const char *, const char *, const char *);
 int hide_line(int *hiding, const char *const line);
 char *query_server(const char *, const char *, const char *);
-char *query_crsnic(const int, const char *);
+char *query_verisign(const char *, const char *, const char *);
 int openconn(const char *, const char *);
 int connect_with_timeout(int, const struct sockaddr *, socklen_t, int);
 void NORETURN usage(int error);