diff --git a/python/tests/test_1_online.py b/python/tests/test_1_online.py
index d673dc94a..da308b362 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_1_online.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_1_online.py
@@ -1295,16 +1295,17 @@ def test_configure_error_msgs_invalid_server(acfactory):
         ev = ac2._evtracker.get_matching("DC_EVENT_CONFIGURE_PROGRESS")
         if ev.data1 == 0:
             break
+    err_lower = ev.data2.lower()
     # Can't connect so it probably should say something about "internet"
     # again, should not repeat itself
     # If this fails then probably `e.msg.to_lowercase().contains("could not resolve")`
     # in configure.rs returned false because the error message was changed
     # (i.e. did not contain "could not resolve" anymore)
-    assert (ev.data2.count("internet") + ev.data2.count("network")) == 1
+    assert (err_lower.count("internet") + err_lower.count("network")) == 1
     # Should mention that it can't connect:
-    assert ev.data2.count("connect") == 1
+    assert err_lower.count("connect") == 1
     # The users do not know what "configuration" is
-    assert "configuration" not in ev.data2.lower()
+    assert "configuration" not in err_lower
 
 
 def test_status(acfactory):
diff --git a/src/net/dns.rs b/src/net/dns.rs
index fb5f9b843..ac6956446 100644
--- a/src/net/dns.rs
+++ b/src/net/dns.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 //! used for successful connection timestamp of
 //! retrieving them from in-memory cache is used.
 
-use anyhow::{Context as _, Result};
+use anyhow::{Context as _, Result, ensure};
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::net::{IpAddr, Ipv4Addr, Ipv6Addr, SocketAddr};
 use std::str::FromStr;
@@ -850,7 +850,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn lookup_host_with_cache(
         }
     };
 
-    if load_cache {
+    let addrs = if load_cache {
         let mut cache = lookup_cache(context, hostname, port, alpn, now).await?;
         if let Some(ips) = DNS_PRELOAD.get(hostname) {
             for ip in ips {
@@ -861,10 +861,15 @@ pub(crate) async fn lookup_host_with_cache(
             }
         }
 
-        Ok(merge_with_cache(resolved_addrs, cache))
+        merge_with_cache(resolved_addrs, cache)
     } else {
-        Ok(resolved_addrs)
-    }
+        resolved_addrs
+    };
+    ensure!(
+        !addrs.is_empty(),
+        "Could not find DNS resolutions for {hostname}:{port}. Check server hostname and your network"
+    );
+    Ok(addrs)
 }
 
 /// Merges results received from DNS with cached results.