diff --git a/command/agent/config.go b/command/agent/config.go
index 6a80ea46f4..4d038df892 100644
--- a/command/agent/config.go
+++ b/command/agent/config.go
@@ -217,6 +217,9 @@ func DefaultConfig() *Config {
 			SerfWan: consul.DefaultWANSerfPort,
 			Server:  8300,
 		},
+		DNSConfig: DNSConfig{
+			MaxStale: 5 * time.Second,
+		},
 		Protocol:   consul.ProtocolVersionMax,
 		AEInterval: time.Minute,
 	}
@@ -276,6 +279,36 @@ func DecodeConfig(r io.Reader) (*Config, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	// Handle time conversions
+	if raw := result.DNSConfig.NodeTTLRaw; raw != "" {
+		dur, err := time.ParseDuration(raw)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("NodeTTL invalid: %v", err)
+		}
+		result.DNSConfig.NodeTTL = dur
+	}
+
+	if raw := result.DNSConfig.MaxStaleRaw; raw != "" {
+		dur, err := time.ParseDuration(raw)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("MaxStale invalid: %v", err)
+		}
+		result.DNSConfig.MaxStale = dur
+	}
+
+	if len(result.DNSConfig.ServiceTTLRaw) != 0 {
+		if result.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL == nil {
+			result.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL = make(map[string]time.Duration)
+		}
+		for service, raw := range result.DNSConfig.ServiceTTLRaw {
+			dur, err := time.ParseDuration(raw)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("ServiceTTL %s invalid: %v", service, err)
+			}
+			result.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL[service] = dur
+		}
+	}
+
 	return &result, nil
 }
 
@@ -486,6 +519,23 @@ func MergeConfig(a, b *Config) *Config {
 	if b.RejoinAfterLeave {
 		result.RejoinAfterLeave = true
 	}
+	if b.DNSConfig.NodeTTL != 0 {
+		result.DNSConfig.NodeTTL = b.DNSConfig.NodeTTL
+	}
+	if len(b.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL) != 0 {
+		if result.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL == nil {
+			result.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL = make(map[string]time.Duration)
+		}
+		for service, dur := range b.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL {
+			result.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL[service] = dur
+		}
+	}
+	if b.DNSConfig.AllowStale {
+		result.DNSConfig.AllowStale = true
+	}
+	if b.DNSConfig.MaxStale != 0 {
+		result.DNSConfig.MaxStale = b.DNSConfig.MaxStale
+	}
 
 	// Copy the start join addresses
 	result.StartJoin = make([]string, 0, len(a.StartJoin)+len(b.StartJoin))
diff --git a/command/agent/config_test.go b/command/agent/config_test.go
index 288e6fd196..b4ab10bbcd 100644
--- a/command/agent/config_test.go
+++ b/command/agent/config_test.go
@@ -290,6 +290,40 @@ func TestDecodeConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	if !config.RejoinAfterLeave {
 		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
 	}
+
+	// DNS node ttl, max stale
+	input = `{"dns_config": {"node_ttl": "5s", "max_stale": "15s", "allow_stale": true}}`
+	config, err = DecodeConfig(bytes.NewReader([]byte(input)))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if config.DNSConfig.NodeTTL != 5*time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
+	}
+	if config.DNSConfig.MaxStale != 15*time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
+	}
+	if !config.DNSConfig.AllowStale {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
+	}
+
+	// DNS service ttl
+	input = `{"dns_config": {"service_ttl": {"*": "1s", "api": "10s", "web": "30s"}}}`
+	config, err = DecodeConfig(bytes.NewReader([]byte(input)))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if config.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL["*"] != time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
+	}
+	if config.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL["api"] != 10*time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
+	}
+	if config.DNSConfig.ServiceTTL["web"] != 30*time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", config)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestDecodeConfig_Service(t *testing.T) {