diff --git a/example/Corefile b/example/Corefile
index 34cdcea..728f95e 100644
--- a/example/Corefile
+++ b/example/Corefile
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
   debug
   prometheus
 
-  blocklist https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts
+  blocklist https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts {
+    # if CoreDNS listens at 53, you need another DNS to bootstrap the download
+    bootstrap_dns 1.1.1.1:53
+  }
+
   blocklist blocklist.txt {
     allowlist allowlist.txt
     domain_metrics
diff --git a/list_loader.go b/list_loader.go
index 04e85f4..e7eb724 100644
--- a/list_loader.go
+++ b/list_loader.go
@@ -2,26 +2,33 @@ package blocklist
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"context"
 	"io"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/coredns/caddy"
 )
 
-func loadList(c *caddy.Controller, location string) ([]string, error) {
+func loadList(c *caddy.Controller, location string, bootStrapDNS string) ([]string, error) {
 	log.Infof("Loading from %s", location)
 	if strings.HasPrefix(location, "http://") || strings.HasPrefix(location, "https://") {
-		return loadListFromUrl(c, location)
+		return loadListFromUrl(c, location, bootStrapDNS)
 	}
 	return loadListFromFile(c, location)
 }
 
-func loadListFromUrl(c *caddy.Controller, name string) ([]string, error) {
-	response, err := http.Get(name)
+func loadListFromUrl(c *caddy.Controller, name string, bootStrapDNS string) ([]string, error) {
+	client := &http.Client{}
+	if bootStrapDNS != "" {
+		client = customDNS(bootStrapDNS)
+	}
+	response, err := client.Get(name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -29,6 +36,38 @@ func loadListFromUrl(c *caddy.Controller, name string) ([]string, error) {
 	return collectDomains(response.Body, name)
 }
 
+func customDNS(bootStrapDNS string) *http.Client {
+	var (
+		dnsResolverIP        = bootStrapDNS // Google DNS resolver.
+		dnsResolverProto     = "udp"        // Protocol to use for the DNS resolver
+		dnsResolverTimeoutMs = 5000         // Timeout (ms) for the DNS resolver (optional)
+	)
+
+	dialer := &net.Dialer{
+		Resolver: &net.Resolver{
+			PreferGo: true,
+			Dial: func(ctx context.Context, network, address string) (net.Conn, error) {
+				d := net.Dialer{
+					Timeout: time.Duration(dnsResolverTimeoutMs) * time.Millisecond,
+				}
+				return d.DialContext(ctx, dnsResolverProto, dnsResolverIP)
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	dialContext := func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
+		return dialer.DialContext(ctx, network, addr)
+	}
+	tr := &http.Transport{
+		MaxIdleConns:       10,
+		IdleConnTimeout:    30 * time.Second,
+		DisableCompression: true,
+		DialContext:        dialContext,
+	}
+	client := &http.Client{Transport: tr}
+
+	return client
+}
+
 func loadListFromFile(c *caddy.Controller, name string) ([]string, error) {
 	if !filepath.IsAbs(name) {
 		name = filepath.Join(
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index c8a9647..f4c9f5e 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ domain on each line. There is an example file in the example folder.
   prometheus
 
   # load from url
-  blocklist https://mirror1.malwaredomains.com/files/justdomains
+  blocklist https://mirror1.malwaredomains.com/files/justdomains {
+    # if CoreDNS listens at 53, you need another DNS to bootstrap the download
+    bootstrap_dns 1.1.1.1:53
+  }
+
   # load from file, if the path is not absolute it will be relative to the Corefile
   blocklist blocklist.txt
 
diff --git a/setup.go b/setup.go
index af081fc..be9cb00 100644
--- a/setup.go
+++ b/setup.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ func setup(c *caddy.Controller) error {
 		var allowlistLocation string
 		var allowlist []string
 		var blockResponse string
+		var bootStrapDNS string
 		c.Args(&blocklistLocation)
 
 		if blocklistLocation == "" {
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ func setup(c *caddy.Controller) error {
 				log.Debugf("Setting allowlist location to %s", allowlistLocation)
 			case "domain_metrics":
 				domainMetrics = true
+			case "bootstrap_dns":
+				bootStrapDNS = c.RemainingArgs()[0]
 			case "block_response":
 				remaining := c.RemainingArgs()
 				if len(remaining) != 1 {
@@ -56,13 +59,13 @@ func setup(c *caddy.Controller) error {
 			return plugin.Error("blocklist", errors.New("To many arguments for blocklist."))
 		}
 
-		blocklist, err := loadList(c, blocklistLocation)
+		blocklist, err := loadList(c, blocklistLocation, bootStrapDNS)
 		if err != nil {
 			return plugin.Error("blocklist", err)
 		}
 
 		if allowlistLocation != "" {
-			allowlist, err = loadList(c, allowlistLocation)
+			allowlist, err = loadList(c, allowlistLocation, bootStrapDNS)
 			if err != nil {
 				return plugin.Error("blocklist", err)
 			}