diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h
index 1e01c43dfd..f77cc797d4 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h
@@ -241,33 +241,36 @@ struct dns_dbonupdatelistener {
 #define DNS_DBFIND_NOZONECUT	0x0200
 
 /*
- * DNS_DBFIND_STALEOK: This flag is set when BIND fails to refresh a
- * RRset due to timeout (resolver-query-timeout), its intent is to
- * try to look for stale data in cache as a fallback, but only if
- * stale answers are enabled in configuration.
- *
- * This flag is also used to activate stale-refresh-time window, since it
- * is the only way the database knows that a resolution has failed.
+ * DNS_DBFIND_STALEOK: This flag is set when BIND fails to refresh a RRset due
+ * to timeout (resolver-query-timeout). Its intent is to try to look for stale
+ * data in cache as a fallback, but only if stale answers are enabled in
+ * configuration.
  */
 #define DNS_DBFIND_STALEOK 0x0400
 
 /*
- * DNS_DBFIND_STALEENABLED: This flag is used as a hint to the database
- * that it may use stale data. It is always set during query lookup if
- * stale answers are enabled, but only effectively used during
- * stale-refresh-time window. Also during this window, the resolver will
- * not try to resolve the query, in other words no attempt to refresh the
- * data in cache is made when the stale-refresh-time window is active.
+ * DNS_DBFIND_STALEENABLED: This flag is used as a hint to the database that
+ * it may use stale data. It is always set during query lookup if stale
+ * answers are enabled, but only effectively used during stale-refresh-time
+ * window. Also during this window, the resolver will not try to resolve the
+ * query, in other words no attempt to refresh the data in cache is made when
+ * the stale-refresh-time window is active.
  */
 #define DNS_DBFIND_STALEENABLED 0x0800
 
 /*
- * DNS_DBFIND_STALEONLY: This new introduced flag is used when we want
- * stale data from the database, but not due to a failure in resolution,
- * it also doesn't require stale-refresh-time window timer to be active.
- * As long as there is a stale RRset available, it should be returned.
+ * DNS_DBFIND_STALEONLY: This flag is used when we want stale data from the
+ * database, but not due to a failure in resolution, it also doesn't require
+ * stale-refresh-time window timer to be active. As long as there is a stale
+ * RRset available, it should be returned.
  */
 #define DNS_DBFIND_STALEONLY 0x1000
+
+/*
+ * DNS_DBFIND_STALESTART: This flag is used to activate stale-refresh-time
+ * window.
+ */
+#define DNS_DBFIND_STALESTART 0x2000
 /*@}*/
 
 /*@{*/
diff --git a/lib/dns/rbtdb.c b/lib/dns/rbtdb.c
index 13be34268f..83f6e30c7c 100644
--- a/lib/dns/rbtdb.c
+++ b/lib/dns/rbtdb.c
@@ -4565,11 +4565,12 @@ check_stale_header(dns_rbtnode_t *node, rdatasetheader_t *header,
 			mark_header_stale(search->rbtdb, header);
 			*header_prev = header;
 			/*
-			 * If DNS_DBFIND_STALEOK is set then it means we failed
-			 * to resolve the name during recursion, in this case we
-			 * mark the time in which the refresh failed.
+			 * If DNS_DBFIND_STALESTART is set then it means we
+			 * failed to resolve the name during recursion, in
+			 * this case we mark the time in which the refresh
+			 * failed.
 			 */
-			if ((search->options & DNS_DBFIND_STALEOK) != 0) {
+			if ((search->options & DNS_DBFIND_STALESTART) != 0) {
 				header->last_refresh_fail_ts = search->now;
 			} else if ((search->options &
 				    DNS_DBFIND_STALEENABLED) != 0 &&
diff --git a/lib/ns/query.c b/lib/ns/query.c
index 2248e4b0b3..e7a666ef2a 100644
--- a/lib/ns/query.c
+++ b/lib/ns/query.c
@@ -7560,7 +7560,15 @@ query_gotanswer(query_ctx_t *qctx, isc_result_t res) {
 			/*
 			 * If serve-stale is enabled, query_usestale() already
 			 * set up 'qctx' for looking up a stale response.
+			 *
+			 * We only need to check if the query timed out or
+			 * something else has gone wrong. If the query timed
+			 * out, we will start the stale-refresh-time window.
 			 */
+			if (qctx->resuming && result == ISC_R_TIMEDOUT) {
+				qctx->client->query.dboptions |=
+					DNS_DBFIND_STALESTART;
+			}
 			return (query_lookup(qctx));
 		}