diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/rdataset.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/rdataset.h
index 6ae21dcc4b..d240d2e019 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/rdataset.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/rdataset.h
@@ -156,6 +156,11 @@ struct dns_rdataset {
  *
  * \def DNS_RDATASETATTR_LOADORDER
  *	Output the RRset in load order.
+ *
+ * \def DNS_RDATASETATTR_STALE_ADDED
+ *	Set on rdatasets that were added during a stale-answer-client-timeout
+ *	lookup. In other words, the RRset was added during a lookup of stale
+ *	data and does not necessarily mean that the rdataset itself is stale.
  */
 
 #define DNS_RDATASETATTR_NONE	      0x00000000 /*%< No ordering. */
diff --git a/lib/ns/query.c b/lib/ns/query.c
index 5bcbe7bb63..faab1340ed 100644
--- a/lib/ns/query.c
+++ b/lib/ns/query.c
@@ -5883,6 +5883,7 @@ query_lookup(query_ctx_t *qctx) {
 	dns_ttl_t stale_refresh = 0;
 	bool dbfind_stale = false;
 	bool stale_timeout = false;
+	bool answer_found = false;
 	bool stale_found = false;
 	bool stale_refresh_window = false;
 	uint16_t ede = 0;
@@ -5990,6 +5991,14 @@ query_lookup(query_ctx_t *qctx) {
 	 */
 	stale_timeout = ((dboptions & DNS_DBFIND_STALETIMEOUT) != 0);
 
+	if (dns_rdataset_isassociated(qctx->rdataset) &&
+	    dns_rdataset_count(qctx->rdataset) > 0 && !STALE(qctx->rdataset))
+	{
+		/* Found non-stale usable rdataset. */
+		answer_found = true;
+		goto gotanswer;
+	}
+
 	if (dbfind_stale || stale_refresh_window || stale_timeout) {
 		dns_name_format(qctx->client->query.qname, namebuf,
 				sizeof(namebuf));
@@ -6121,7 +6130,8 @@ query_lookup(query_ctx_t *qctx) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (stale_timeout && stale_found) {
+gotanswer:
+	if (stale_timeout && (answer_found || stale_found)) {
 		/*
 		 * Mark RRsets that we are adding to the client message on a
 		 * lookup during 'stale-answer-client-timeout', so we can