diff --git a/runtime/doc/lsp.txt b/runtime/doc/lsp.txt
index a8b5825e63..e820d54a9e 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/lsp.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/lsp.txt
@@ -2311,14 +2311,14 @@ connect({host_or_path}, {port})                        *vim.lsp.rpc.connect()*
     Create a LSP RPC client factory that connects to either:
     • a named pipe (windows)
     • a domain socket (unix)
-    • a host and port via TCP (host must be IP address)
+    • a host and port via TCP
 
     Return a function that can be passed to the `cmd` field for
     |vim.lsp.start_client()| or |vim.lsp.start()|.
 
     Parameters: ~
-      • {host_or_path}  (`string`) host (IP address) to connect to or path to
-                        a pipe/domain socket
+      • {host_or_path}  (`string`) host to connect to or path to a pipe/domain
+                        socket
       • {port}          (`integer?`) TCP port to connect to. If absent the
                         first argument must be a pipe
 
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/rpc.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/rpc.lua
index a9c6723094..d81eae20d1 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/rpc.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/rpc.lua
@@ -627,12 +627,12 @@ end
 ---
 ---  - a named pipe (windows)
 ---  - a domain socket (unix)
----  - a host and port via TCP (host must be IP address)
+---  - a host and port via TCP
 ---
 --- Return a function that can be passed to the `cmd` field for
 --- |vim.lsp.start_client()| or |vim.lsp.start()|.
 ---
----@param host_or_path string host (IP address) to connect to or path to a pipe/domain socket
+---@param host_or_path string host to connect to or path to a pipe/domain socket
 ---@param port integer? TCP port to connect to. If absent the first argument must be a pipe
 ---@return fun(dispatchers: vim.lsp.rpc.Dispatchers): vim.lsp.rpc.PublicClient
 function M.connect(host_or_path, port)
@@ -703,7 +703,9 @@ function M.connect(host_or_path, port)
     if port == nil then
       handle:connect(host_or_path, on_connect)
     else
-      handle:connect(host_or_path, port, on_connect)
+      local info = uv.getaddrinfo(host_or_path, nil)
+      local resolved_host = info and info[1] and info[1].addr or host_or_path
+      handle:connect(resolved_host, port, on_connect)
     end
 
     return public_client(client)
diff --git a/test/functional/plugin/lsp/testutil.lua b/test/functional/plugin/lsp/testutil.lua
index 2595f6ad09..f60d111f87 100644
--- a/test/functional/plugin/lsp/testutil.lua
+++ b/test/functional/plugin/lsp/testutil.lua
@@ -21,6 +21,33 @@ function M.clear_notrace()
   }
 end
 
+M.create_tcp_echo_server = function()
+  --- Create a TCP server that echos the first message it receives.
+  --- @param host string
+  ---@return uv.uv_tcp_t
+  ---@return integer
+  ---@return fun():string|nil
+  function _G._create_tcp_server(host)
+    local uv = vim.uv
+    local server = assert(uv.new_tcp())
+    local init = nil
+    server:bind(host, 0)
+    server:listen(127, function(err)
+      assert(not err, err)
+      local socket = assert(uv.new_tcp())
+      server:accept(socket)
+      socket:read_start(require('vim.lsp.rpc').create_read_loop(function(body)
+        init = body
+        socket:close()
+      end))
+    end)
+    local port = server:getsockname().port
+    return server, port, function()
+      return init
+    end
+  end
+end
+
 M.create_server_definition = function()
   function _G._create_server(opts)
     opts = opts or {}
diff --git a/test/functional/plugin/lsp_spec.lua b/test/functional/plugin/lsp_spec.lua
index ff042424f9..1347ea9745 100644
--- a/test/functional/plugin/lsp_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/plugin/lsp_spec.lua
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ local create_server_definition = t_lsp.create_server_definition
 local fake_lsp_code = t_lsp.fake_lsp_code
 local fake_lsp_logfile = t_lsp.fake_lsp_logfile
 local test_rpc_server = t_lsp.test_rpc_server
+local create_tcp_echo_server = t_lsp.create_tcp_echo_server
 
 local function get_buf_option(name, bufnr)
   bufnr = bufnr or 'BUFFER'
@@ -4981,26 +4982,33 @@ describe('LSP', function()
   end)
 
   describe('cmd', function()
-    it('can connect to lsp server via rpc.connect', function()
+    it('connects to lsp server via rpc.connect using ip address', function()
+      exec_lua(create_tcp_echo_server)
       local result = exec_lua(function()
-        local uv = vim.uv
-        local server = assert(uv.new_tcp())
-        local init = nil
-        server:bind('127.0.0.1', 0)
-        server:listen(127, function(err)
-          assert(not err, err)
-          local socket = assert(uv.new_tcp())
-          server:accept(socket)
-          socket:read_start(require('vim.lsp.rpc').create_read_loop(function(body)
-            init = body
-            socket:close()
-          end))
-        end)
-        local port = server:getsockname().port
+        local server, port, last_message = _G._create_tcp_server('127.0.0.1')
         vim.lsp.start({ name = 'dummy', cmd = vim.lsp.rpc.connect('127.0.0.1', port) })
         vim.wait(1000, function()
-          return init ~= nil
+          return last_message() ~= nil
         end)
+        local init = last_message()
+        assert(init, 'server must receive `initialize` request')
+        server:close()
+        server:shutdown()
+        return vim.json.decode(init)
+      end)
+      eq('initialize', result.method)
+    end)
+
+    it('connects to lsp server via rpc.connect using hostname', function()
+      skip(is_os('bsd'), 'issue with host resolution in ci')
+      exec_lua(create_tcp_echo_server)
+      local result = exec_lua(function()
+        local server, port, last_message = _G._create_tcp_server('::1')
+        vim.lsp.start({ name = 'dummy', cmd = vim.lsp.rpc.connect('localhost', port) })
+        vim.wait(1000, function()
+          return last_message() ~= nil
+        end)
+        local init = last_message()
         assert(init, 'server must receive `initialize` request')
         server:close()
         server:shutdown()