diff --git a/swift/common/middleware/cname_lookup.py b/swift/common/middleware/cname_lookup.py
index fdeb7101e8..abfeabce5d 100644
--- a/swift/common/middleware/cname_lookup.py
+++ b/swift/common/middleware/cname_lookup.py
@@ -59,8 +59,12 @@ def lookup_cname(domain):  # pragma: no cover
         result = answer.items[0].to_text()
         result = result.rstrip('.')
         return ttl, result
-    except (dns.exception.DNSException, dns.resolver.NXDOMAIN,
-            dns.resolver.NoAnswer):
+    except (dns.resolver.NXDOMAIN, dns.resolver.NoAnswer):
+        # As the memcache lib returns None when nothing is found in cache,
+        # returning false helps to distinguish between "nothing in cache"
+        # (None) and "nothing to cache" (False).
+        return 60, False
+    except (dns.exception.DNSException):
         return 0, None
 
 
@@ -131,13 +135,13 @@ class CNAMELookupMiddleware(object):
                 if self.memcache:
                     memcache_key = ''.join(['cname-', a_domain])
                     found_domain = self.memcache.get(memcache_key)
-                if not found_domain:
+                if found_domain is None:
                     ttl, found_domain = lookup_cname(a_domain)
-                    if self.memcache:
+                    if self.memcache and ttl > 0:
                         memcache_key = ''.join(['cname-', given_domain])
                         self.memcache.set(memcache_key, found_domain,
                                           time=ttl)
-                if found_domain is None or found_domain == a_domain:
+                if not found_domain or found_domain == a_domain:
                     # no CNAME records or we're at the last lookup
                     error = True
                     found_domain = None
diff --git a/test/unit/common/middleware/test_cname_lookup.py b/test/unit/common/middleware/test_cname_lookup.py
index 0ae69ade82..f4db28691f 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/middleware/test_cname_lookup.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/middleware/test_cname_lookup.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from nose import SkipTest
 try:
     # this test requires the dnspython package to be installed
     import dns.resolver  # noqa
+    import dns.exception
 except ImportError:
     skip = True
 else:  # executed if the try has no errors
@@ -170,6 +171,80 @@ class TestCNAMELookup(unittest.TestCase):
         resp = self.app(req.environ, start_response)
         self.assertEqual(resp, 'FAKE APP')
 
+    def test_caching(self):
+        fail_to_resolve = ['CNAME lookup failed to resolve to a valid domain']
+
+        class memcache_stub(object):
+            def __init__(self):
+                self.cache = {}
+
+            def get(self, key):
+                return self.cache.get(key, None)
+
+            def set(self, key, value, *a, **kw):
+                self.cache[key] = value
+
+        module = 'swift.common.middleware.cname_lookup.lookup_cname'
+        dns_module = 'dns.resolver.query'
+        memcache = memcache_stub()
+
+        with mock.patch(module) as m:
+            m.return_value = (3600, 'c.example.com')
+            req = Request.blank('/', environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET',
+                                              'swift.cache': memcache},
+                                headers={'Host': 'mysite2.com'})
+            resp = self.app(req.environ, start_response)
+            self.assertEqual(resp, 'FAKE APP')
+            self.assertEqual(m.call_count, 1)
+            self.assertEqual(memcache.cache.get('cname-mysite2.com'),
+                             'c.example.com')
+            req = Request.blank('/', environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET',
+                                              'swift.cache': memcache},
+                                headers={'Host': 'mysite2.com'})
+            resp = self.app(req.environ, start_response)
+            self.assertEqual(resp, 'FAKE APP')
+            self.assertEqual(m.call_count, 1)
+            self.assertEqual(memcache.cache.get('cname-mysite2.com'),
+                             'c.example.com')
+
+        for exc, num in ((dns.resolver.NXDOMAIN(), 3),
+                         (dns.resolver.NoAnswer(), 4)):
+            with mock.patch(dns_module) as m:
+                m.side_effect = exc
+                req = Request.blank('/', environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET',
+                                                  'swift.cache': memcache},
+                                    headers={'Host': 'mysite%d.com' % num})
+                resp = self.app(req.environ, start_response)
+                self.assertEqual(resp, fail_to_resolve)
+                self.assertEqual(m.call_count, 1)
+                self.assertEqual(memcache.cache.get('cname-mysite3.com'),
+                                 False)
+                req = Request.blank('/', environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET',
+                                                  'swift.cache': memcache},
+                                    headers={'Host': 'mysite%d.com' % num})
+                resp = self.app(req.environ, start_response)
+                self.assertEqual(resp, fail_to_resolve)
+                self.assertEqual(m.call_count, 1)
+                self.assertEqual(
+                    memcache.cache.get('cname-mysite%d.com' % num), False)
+
+        with mock.patch(dns_module) as m:
+            m.side_effect = dns.exception.DNSException()
+            req = Request.blank('/', environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET',
+                                              'swift.cache': memcache},
+                                headers={'Host': 'mysite5.com'})
+            resp = self.app(req.environ, start_response)
+            self.assertEqual(resp, fail_to_resolve)
+            self.assertEqual(m.call_count, 1)
+            self.assertFalse('cname-mysite5.com' in memcache.cache)
+            req = Request.blank('/', environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET',
+                                              'swift.cache': memcache},
+                                headers={'Host': 'mysite5.com'})
+            resp = self.app(req.environ, start_response)
+            self.assertEqual(resp, fail_to_resolve)
+            self.assertEqual(m.call_count, 2)
+            self.assertFalse('cname-mysite5.com' in memcache.cache)
+
     def test_cname_matching_ending_not_domain(self):
         req = Request.blank('/', environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'GET'},
                             headers={'Host': 'foo.com'})