diff --git a/envoy/network/dns_resolver.h b/envoy/network/dns_resolver.h
index 2a326f152fe83..3562f8756e94f 100644
--- a/envoy/network/dns_resolver.h
+++ b/envoy/network/dns_resolver.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ constexpr absl::string_view DnsResolverCategory = "envoy.network.dns_resolver";
 
 class DnsResolverFactory : public Config::TypedFactory {
 public:
-  /*
+  /**
    * @returns a DnsResolver object.
    * @param dispatcher: the local dispatcher thread
    * @param api: API interface to interact with system resources
@@ -26,6 +26,33 @@ class DnsResolverFactory : public Config::TypedFactory {
       const envoy::config::core::v3::TypedExtensionConfig& typed_dns_resolver_config) const PURE;
 
   std::string category() const override { return std::string(DnsResolverCategory); }
+
+  /**
+   * Initialize the related data for this type of DNS resolver.
+   * For some DNS resolvers, like c-ares, there are some specific data structure
+   * needs to be initialized before using it to resolve target.
+   */
+  virtual void initialize() {}
+
+  /**
+   * Cleanup the related data for this type of DNS resolver.
+   * For some DNS resolvers, like c-ares, there are some specific data structure
+   * needs to be cleaned up before terminates Envoy.
+   */
+  virtual void terminate() {}
+
+  /**
+   * Create the DNS resolver factory based on the typed config and initialize it.
+   * @returns the DNS Resolver factory.
+   * @param typed_dns_resolver_config: the typed DNS resolver config
+   */
+  static Network::DnsResolverFactory&
+  createFactory(const envoy::config::core::v3::TypedExtensionConfig& typed_dns_resolver_config);
+
+  /**
+   * Call the terminate method on all the registered DNS resolver factories.
+   */
+  static void terminateFactories();
 };
 
 } // namespace Network
diff --git a/source/common/network/dns_resolver/dns_factory_util.cc b/source/common/network/dns_resolver/dns_factory_util.cc
index d8d1712cab956..d06f1186fb561 100644
--- a/source/common/network/dns_resolver/dns_factory_util.cc
+++ b/source/common/network/dns_resolver/dns_factory_util.cc
@@ -79,8 +79,7 @@ void handleLegacyDnsResolverData(
 Network::DnsResolverFactory& createDnsResolverFactoryFromTypedConfig(
     const envoy::config::core::v3::TypedExtensionConfig& typed_dns_resolver_config) {
   ENVOY_LOG_MISC(debug, "create DNS resolver type: {}", typed_dns_resolver_config.name());
-  return Config::Utility::getAndCheckFactory<Network::DnsResolverFactory>(
-      typed_dns_resolver_config);
+  return DnsResolverFactory::createFactory(typed_dns_resolver_config);
 }
 
 // Create the default DNS resolver factory. apple for MacOS or c-ares for all others.
@@ -92,5 +91,19 @@ Network::DnsResolverFactory& createDefaultDnsResolverFactory(
   return createDnsResolverFactoryFromTypedConfig(typed_dns_resolver_config);
 }
 
+Network::DnsResolverFactory& DnsResolverFactory::createFactory(
+    const envoy::config::core::v3::TypedExtensionConfig& typed_dns_resolver_config) {
+  auto& factory =
+      Config::Utility::getAndCheckFactory<Network::DnsResolverFactory>(typed_dns_resolver_config);
+  factory.initialize();
+  return factory;
+}
+
+void DnsResolverFactory::terminateFactories() {
+  auto& factories = Registry::FactoryRegistry<Network::DnsResolverFactory>::factories();
+  std::for_each(factories.begin(), factories.end(),
+                [](auto& factory_it) { factory_it.second->terminate(); });
+}
+
 } // namespace Network
 } // namespace Envoy
diff --git a/source/exe/BUILD b/source/exe/BUILD
index 994bc24231636..cc0796ed99007 100644
--- a/source/exe/BUILD
+++ b/source/exe/BUILD
@@ -141,11 +141,11 @@ envoy_cc_library(
     name = "process_wide_lib",
     srcs = ["process_wide.cc"],
     hdrs = ["process_wide.h"],
-    external_deps = ["ares"],
     deps = [
         "//source/common/common:assert_lib",
         "//source/common/event:libevent_lib",
         "//source/common/http/http2:nghttp2_lib",
+        "//source/common/network/dns_resolver:dns_factory_util_lib",
         "//source/server:proto_descriptors_lib",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/source/exe/process_wide.cc b/source/exe/process_wide.cc
index df421084a21b1..9e93e9c48f4b4 100644
--- a/source/exe/process_wide.cc
+++ b/source/exe/process_wide.cc
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 #include "source/exe/process_wide.h"
 
+#include "envoy/network/dns_resolver.h"
+
 #include "source/common/common/assert.h"
 #include "source/common/event/libevent.h"
 #include "source/common/http/http2/nghttp2.h"
 #include "source/server/proto_descriptors.h"
 
-#include "ares.h"
-
 namespace Envoy {
 namespace {
 
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ ProcessWide::ProcessWide() {
   if (init_data.count_++ == 0) {
     // TODO(mattklein123): Audit the following as not all of these have to be re-initialized in the
     // edge case where something does init/destroy/init/destroy.
-    ares_library_init(ARES_LIB_INIT_ALL);
     Event::Libevent::Global::initialize();
     Envoy::Server::validateProtoDescriptors();
     Http::Http2::initializeNghttp2Logging();
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ ProcessWide::~ProcessWide() {
 
   ASSERT(init_data.count_ > 0);
   if (--init_data.count_ == 0) {
-    ares_library_cleanup();
+    Network::DnsResolverFactory::terminateFactories();
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/source/extensions/network/dns_resolver/cares/dns_impl.cc b/source/extensions/network/dns_resolver/cares/dns_impl.cc
index 35c147083be25..6d14b89fbe48d 100644
--- a/source/extensions/network/dns_resolver/cares/dns_impl.cc
+++ b/source/extensions/network/dns_resolver/cares/dns_impl.cc
@@ -493,7 +493,8 @@ DnsResolverImpl::AddrInfoPendingResolution::availableInterfaces() {
 }
 
 // c-ares DNS resolver factory
-class CaresDnsResolverFactory : public DnsResolverFactory {
+class CaresDnsResolverFactory : public DnsResolverFactory,
+                                public Logger::Loggable<Logger::Id::dns> {
 public:
   std::string name() const override { return std::string(CaresDnsResolver); }
 
@@ -521,6 +522,29 @@ class CaresDnsResolverFactory : public DnsResolverFactory {
     }
     return std::make_shared<Network::DnsResolverImpl>(cares, dispatcher, resolvers);
   }
+
+  void initialize() override {
+    // Initialize c-ares library in case first time.
+    absl::MutexLock lock(&mutex_);
+    if (!ares_library_initialized_) {
+      ares_library_initialized_ = true;
+      ENVOY_LOG(info, "c-ares library initialized.");
+      ares_library_init(ARES_LIB_INIT_ALL);
+    }
+  }
+  void terminate() override {
+    // Cleanup c-ares library if initialized.
+    absl::MutexLock lock(&mutex_);
+    if (ares_library_initialized_) {
+      ares_library_initialized_ = false;
+      ENVOY_LOG(info, "c-ares library cleaned up.");
+      ares_library_cleanup();
+    }
+  }
+
+private:
+  bool ares_library_initialized_ ABSL_GUARDED_BY(mutex_){false};
+  absl::Mutex mutex_;
 };
 
 // Register the CaresDnsResolverFactory