SOLVED: Dnsmasq spamming log

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

I’m seeing dnsmasq fill the system log every few minutes with the same set of messages. Is there something wrong? How can I reduce these repetions?

[5 Apr 2026, 09:52:05 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /etc/hosts - 12 names
[5 Apr 2026, 09:52:05 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/dhcp.cfg01411c - 96 names
[5 Apr 2026, 09:52:05 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/odhcpd.hosts.lan - 44 names
[5 Apr 2026, 09:52:05 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq-dhcp[1]: read /etc/ethers - 0 addresses
[5 Apr 2026, 09:53:53 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /etc/hosts - 12 names
[5 Apr 2026, 09:53:53 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/dhcp.cfg01411c - 96 names
[5 Apr 2026, 09:53:53 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/odhcpd.hosts.lan - 48 names
[5 Apr 2026, 09:53:53 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq-dhcp[1]: read /etc/ethers - 0 addresses
[5 Apr 2026, 10:02:03 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /etc/hosts - 12 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:02:03 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/dhcp.cfg01411c - 96 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:02:03 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/odhcpd.hosts.lan - 44 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:02:03 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq-dhcp[1]: read /etc/ethers - 0 addresses
[5 Apr 2026, 10:03:13 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /etc/hosts - 12 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:03:13 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/dhcp.cfg01411c - 96 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:03:13 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/odhcpd.hosts.lan - 48 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:03:13 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq-dhcp[1]: read /etc/ethers - 0 addresses
[5 Apr 2026, 10:12:23 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /etc/hosts - 12 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:12:23 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/dhcp.cfg01411c - 96 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:12:23 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/odhcpd.hosts.lan - 44 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:12:23 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq-dhcp[1]: read /etc/ethers - 0 addresses
[5 Apr 2026, 10:14:23 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /etc/hosts - 12 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:14:23 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/dhcp.cfg01411c - 96 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:14:23 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq[1]: read /tmp/hosts/odhcpd.hosts.lan - 48 names
[5 Apr 2026, 10:14:23 GMT+8] daemon.info: dnsmasq-dhcp[1]: read /etc/ethers - 0 addresses
2

It’s odhcpd sending SIGHUP to dnsmasq as new dhcpv6 leases come and go.

Personally, I delete the leasetrigger in the dhcp.odhcpd section of the config. Then restart odhcpd. I don’t need to resolve local dhcpv6 addresses.

1 Like
3

Thank-you for the explanation. I do use IPV6, so it appears that I’m stuck with this behaviour

4

You can look into the /tmp/hosts/odhcpd.hosts.lan file to see which device keeps disappearing and reappearing every few minutes. Maybe fix the device if you can find a problem.

The names in that file are the only ones you’d be “missing” without the trigger.

5

You might opt to use a separate logfile for dnsmasq, only.

6

Also possible to swap out odhcpd for dnsmasq-full so dnsmasq is doing ipv4 and IPv6 DHCP as well as IPv6 router advertisements.

7

You can tell Dnsmasq to shut up entirely by doing:

uci set dhcp.@dnsmasq[0].logfacility='-'
uci commit dhcp
service dnsmasq restart
8

@dave14305 thank-you, your post help me find some incorrect IPV6 setup on my router.