diff --git a/images/orderer/Dockerfile b/images/orderer/Dockerfile
index 549464a1d00..1ca6adf0ffe 100644
--- a/images/orderer/Dockerfile
+++ b/images/orderer/Dockerfile
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ ARG GO_VER
 ARG ALPINE_VER
 FROM alpine:${ALPINE_VER} as base
 RUN apk add --no-cache tzdata
+# set up nsswitch.conf for Go's "netgo" implementation
+# - https://github.com/golang/go/blob/go1.9.1/src/net/conf.go#L194-L275
+# - docker run --rm debian:stretch grep '^hosts:' /etc/nsswitch.conf
+RUN [ ! -e /etc/nsswitch.conf ] && echo 'hosts: files dns' > /etc/nsswitch.conf
 
 FROM golang:${GO_VER}-alpine${ALPINE_VER} as golang
 RUN apk add --no-cache \
diff --git a/images/peer/Dockerfile b/images/peer/Dockerfile
index 19ce9140009..5ce9da4796e 100644
--- a/images/peer/Dockerfile
+++ b/images/peer/Dockerfile
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ ARG ALPINE_VER
 
 FROM alpine:${ALPINE_VER} as peer-base
 RUN apk add --no-cache tzdata
+# set up nsswitch.conf for Go's "netgo" implementation
+# - https://github.com/golang/go/blob/go1.9.1/src/net/conf.go#L194-L275
+# - docker run --rm debian:stretch grep '^hosts:' /etc/nsswitch.conf
+RUN echo 'hosts: files dns' > /etc/nsswitch.conf
 
 FROM golang:${GO_VER}-alpine${ALPINE_VER} as golang
 RUN apk add --no-cache \