diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 8547806e3..11e29a819 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ IRCDLIBS=@IRCDLIBS@ @TRE_LIBS@ @PCRE2_LIBS@ @CARES_LIBS@ @PTHREAD_LIBS@
 CRYPTOLIB=@CRYPTOLIB@
 OPENSSLINCLUDES=
 
-XCFLAGS=@PTHREAD_CFLAGS@ @TRE_CFLAGS@ @PCRE2_CFLAGS@ @CARES_CFLAGS@ @CFLAGS@
+XCFLAGS=@PTHREAD_CFLAGS@ @TRE_CFLAGS@ @PCRE2_CFLAGS@ @CARES_CFLAGS@ @CFLAGS@ @CPPFLAGS@
 #
 # use the following on MIPS:
 #CFLAGS= -systype bsd43 -DSYSTYPE_BSD43 -I$(INCLUDEDIR)
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index f4912c203..093715f0b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2517,6 +2517,8 @@ if test "x$enable_dynamic_linking" = "x"; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
+orig_cflags="$CFLAGS"
+
 # Generation version number (e.g.: X in X.Y.Z)
 UNREAL_VERSION_GENERATION="4"
 
@@ -6977,7 +6979,7 @@ fi
 
 if test "x$with_system_cares" = "xno"; then :
 
-cares_version="1.10.0"
+cares_version="1.12.0"
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: extracting c-ares resolver library" >&5
 $as_echo "extracting c-ares resolver library" >&6; }
 cur_dir=`pwd`
@@ -6994,7 +6996,11 @@ fi
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: configuring c-ares library" >&5
 $as_echo "configuring c-ares library" >&6; }
 cd c-ares-$cares_version
+save_cflags="$CFLAGS"
+CFLAGS="$orig_cflags"
+export CFLAGS
 ./configure --prefix=$cur_dir/extras/c-ares --disable-shared || exit 1
+CFLAGS="$save_cflags"
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: compiling c-ares resolver library" >&5
 $as_echo "compiling c-ares resolver library" >&6; }
 $ac_cv_prog_MAKER || exit 1
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f7e3baa6e..97e0c4d9c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ if test "x$enable_dynamic_linking" = "x"; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
+dnl Save CFLAGS, use this when building the libraries like c-ares
+orig_cflags="$CFLAGS"
+
 dnl Calculate the versions. Perhaps the use of expr is a little too extravagant
 # Generation version number (e.g.: X in X.Y.Z)
 UNREAL_VERSION_GENERATION=["4"]
@@ -689,7 +692,7 @@ AS_IF([test "x$with_system_cares" = "xno"],[
 dnl REMEMBER TO CHANGE WITH A NEW C-ARES RELEASE!
 dnl NOTE: when changing this here, ALSO change it in extras/curlinstall
 dnl       and in the comment in this file around line 400!
-cares_version="1.10.0"
+cares_version="1.12.0"
 AC_MSG_RESULT(extracting c-ares resolver library)
 cur_dir=`pwd`
 cd extras
@@ -705,7 +708,11 @@ else
 fi
 AC_MSG_RESULT(configuring c-ares library)
 cd c-ares-$cares_version
+save_cflags="$CFLAGS"
+CFLAGS="$orig_cflags"
+export CFLAGS
 ./configure --prefix=$cur_dir/extras/c-ares --disable-shared || exit 1
+CFLAGS="$save_cflags"
 AC_MSG_RESULT(compiling c-ares resolver library)
 $ac_cv_prog_MAKER || exit 1
 AC_MSG_RESULT(installing c-ares resolver library)
diff --git a/extras/c-ares.tar.gz b/extras/c-ares.tar.gz
index 70412754c..fb0bb1652 100644
Binary files a/extras/c-ares.tar.gz and b/extras/c-ares.tar.gz differ
diff --git a/extras/curlinstall b/extras/curlinstall
index 99e437b75..42bc47a84 100755
--- a/extras/curlinstall
+++ b/extras/curlinstall
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ URL="http://www.unrealircd.org/files/curl-latest.tar.gz"
 OUTF="curl-latest.tar.gz"
 OUTD="curl-latest"
 ARESPATH="`pwd`/extras/c-ares"
-CARESVERSION="1.10.0"
+CARESVERSION="1.12.0"
 if [ ! -f src/parse.c ]; then
 	if [ -f ../src/parse.c ]; then
 		cd ..