diff --git a/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ans2/ans.pl b/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ans2/ans.pl
index fed26967fe..6fac57c139 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ans2/ans.pl
+++ b/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ans2/ans.pl
@@ -44,11 +44,14 @@ my $udpsock = IO::Socket::INET->new(LocalAddr => "$localaddr",
    LocalPort => $localport, Proto => "udp", Reuse => 1) or die "$!";
 
 #
-# Delegation
+# Delegations
 #
 my $SOA = "example 300 IN SOA . . 0 0 0 0 300";
 my $NS = "example 300 IN NS ns.example";
 my $A = "ns.example 300 IN A $localaddr";
+my $ssSOA = "delegated.serve.stale 300 IN SOA . . 0 0 0 0 300";
+my $ssNS = "delegated.serve.stale 300 IN NS ns.delegated.serve.stale";
+my $ssA = "ns.delegated.serve.stale 300 IN A $localaddr";
 
 #
 # Slow delegation
@@ -66,6 +69,7 @@ my $TXT = "data.example 2 IN TXT \"A text record with a 2 second ttl\"";
 my $LONGTXT = "longttl.example 600 IN TXT \"A text record with a 600 second ttl\"";
 my $CAA = "othertype.example 2 IN CAA 0 issue \"ca1.example.net\"";
 my $negSOA = "example 2 IN SOA . . 0 0 0 0 300";
+my $ssnegSOA = "delegated.serve.stale 2 IN SOA . . 0 0 0 0 300";
 my $CNAME = "cname.example 7 IN CNAME target.example";
 my $TARGET = "target.example 9 IN A $localaddr";
 my $SHORTCNAME = "shortttl.cname.example 1 IN CNAME longttl.target.example";
@@ -223,6 +227,38 @@ sub reply_handler {
 	    push @auth, $rr;
 	}
 	$rcode = "NOERROR";
+    } elsif ($qname eq "ns.delegated.serve.stale" ) {
+	if ($qtype eq "A") {
+	    my $rr = new Net::DNS::RR($ssA);
+	    push @ans, $rr;
+	} else {
+	    my $rr = new Net::DNS::RR($ssSOA);
+	    push @auth, $rr;
+	}
+	$rcode = "NOERROR";
+    } elsif ($qname eq "delegated.serve.stale") {
+	if ($qtype eq "NS") {
+	    my $rr = new Net::DNS::RR($ssNS);
+	    push @auth, $rr;
+	    $rr = new Net::DNS::RR($ssA);
+	    push @add, $rr;
+	} elsif ($qtype eq "SOA") {
+	    my $rr = new Net::DNS::RR($ssSOA);
+	    push @ans, $rr;
+	} else {
+	    my $rr = new Net::DNS::RR($ssSOA);
+	    push @auth, $rr;
+	}
+	$rcode = "NOERROR";
+    } elsif ($qname eq "www.delegated.serve.stale") {
+	if ($qtype eq "A") {
+	    my $rr = new Net::DNS::RR("www.delegated.serve.stale 2 IN A 10.53.0.99");
+	    push @ans, $rr;
+	} else {
+	    my $rr = new Net::DNS::RR($ssnegSOA);
+	    push @auth, $rr;
+	}
+	$rcode = "NOERROR";
     } elsif ($qname eq "ns.slow" ) {
 	if ($qtype eq "A") {
 	    my $rr = new Net::DNS::RR($slowA);
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ns3/named9.conf.in b/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ns3/named9.conf.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb09713519
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ns3/named9.conf.in
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+ *
+ * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+ * License, v. 2.0.  If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+ * file, you can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+ *
+ * See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
+ * information regarding copyright ownership.
+ */
+
+key rndc_key {
+	secret "1234abcd8765";
+	algorithm @DEFAULT_HMAC@;
+};
+
+controls {
+	inet 10.53.0.3 port @CONTROLPORT@ allow { any; } keys { rndc_key; };
+};
+
+options {
+	query-source address 10.53.0.3;
+	notify-source 10.53.0.3;
+	transfer-source 10.53.0.3;
+	port @PORT@;
+	pid-file "named.pid";
+	listen-on { 10.53.0.3; };
+	listen-on-v6 { none; };
+	recursion yes;
+	dnssec-validation no;
+	stale-answer-enable yes;
+	stale-cache-enable yes;
+	stale-answer-ttl 3;
+	stale-answer-client-timeout 0;
+};
+
+zone "." {
+	type secondary;
+	primaries { 10.53.0.1; };
+	file "root.bk";
+};
+
+zone "serve.stale" IN {
+	type primary;
+	notify no;
+	file "serve.stale.db";
+};
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ns3/serve.stale.db b/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ns3/serve.stale.db
index 704f451012..09a696563d 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ns3/serve.stale.db
+++ b/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/ns3/serve.stale.db
@@ -16,3 +16,6 @@ ns.serve.stale.		IN A    10.53.0.6
 $ORIGIN serve.stale.
 test			IN NS	nss1.example.nxd.
 test			IN NS	nss2.example.nxd.
+
+delegated		IN NS	ns2.delegated.serve.stale.
+ns2.delegated		IN A	10.53.0.2
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/tests.sh
index 42b94dbeb5..3e3267051f 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/tests.sh
@@ -2506,5 +2506,33 @@ grep "2001:aaaa" dig.out.2.test$n >/dev/null || ret=1
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=$((status + ret))
 
+n=$((n + 1))
+echo_i "check serve-stale (stale-answer-client-timeout 0) with a delegation ($n)"
+ret=0
+# configure ns3 with stale-answer-client-timeout 0 and a delegated zone
+copy_setports ns3/named9.conf.in ns3/named.conf
+rndc_reload ns3 10.53.0.3
+# flush cache, enable ans2 responses, make sure serve-stale is on
+$RNDCCMD 10.53.0.3 flush >rndc.out.test$n.1 2>&1 || ret=1
+$DIG -p ${PORT} @10.53.0.2 txt enable >/dev/null || ret=1
+$RNDCCMD 10.53.0.3 serve-stale on >rndc.out.test$n.2 2>&1 || ret=1
+# prime the cache with the A response
+$DIG -p ${PORT} @10.53.0.3 www.delegated.serve.stale >dig.out.1.test$n || ret=1
+grep -F "status: NOERROR" dig.out.1.test$n >/dev/null || ret=1
+grep -F "10.53.0.99" dig.out.1.test$n >/dev/null || ret=1
+# disable responses from the auth server
+$DIG -p ${PORT} @10.53.0.2 txt disable >/dev/null || ret=1
+# wait two seconds for the previous answer to become stale
+sleep 2
+# resend the query; we should immediately get a stale answer
+$DIG -p ${PORT} @10.53.0.3 www.delegated.serve.stale >dig.out.2.test$n || ret=1
+grep -F "status: NOERROR" dig.out.2.test$n >/dev/null || ret=1
+grep -F "EDE: 3 (Stale Answer): (stale data prioritized over lookup)" dig.out.2.test$n >/dev/null || ret=1
+grep -F "10.53.0.99" dig.out.2.test$n >/dev/null || ret=1
+# re-enable responses
+$DIG -p ${PORT} @10.53.0.2 txt enable >/dev/null || ret=1
+if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
+status=$((status + ret))
+
 echo_i "exit status: $status"
 [ $status -eq 0 ] || exit 1
diff --git a/lib/ns/query.c b/lib/ns/query.c
index 3759ee371b..a61fd92bce 100644
--- a/lib/ns/query.c
+++ b/lib/ns/query.c
@@ -6206,11 +6206,18 @@ query_lookup(query_ctx_t *qctx) {
 		}
 	} else if (stale_timeout) {
 		if (qctx->options.stalefirst) {
-			if (!stale_found && !answer_found) {
-				/*
-				 * We have nothing useful in cache to return
-				 * immediately.
-				 */
+			/*
+			 * If 'qctx->zdb' is set, this was a cache lookup after
+			 * an authoritative lookup returned a delegation (in
+			 * order to find a better answer). But we still can
+			 * return without getting any usable answer here, as
+			 * query_notfound() should handle it from here.
+			 * Otherwise, if nothing useful was found in cache then
+			 * recursively call query_lookup() again without the
+			 * 'stalefirst' option set.
+			 */
+			if (!stale_found && !answer_found && qctx->zdb == NULL)
+			{
 				qctx_clean(qctx);
 				qctx_freedata(qctx);
 				dns_db_attach(qctx->client->view->cachedb,
@@ -8936,7 +8943,25 @@ query_zone_delegation(query_ctx_t *qctx) {
 		dns_db_attach(qctx->view->cachedb, &qctx->db);
 		qctx->is_zone = false;
 
-		return query_lookup(qctx);
+		/*
+		 * Since 'qctx->is_zone' is now false, we should reconsider
+		 * setting the 'stalefirst' option, which is usually set in
+		 * the beginning in ns__query_start().
+		 */
+		if (qctx->view->staleanswerclienttimeout == 0 &&
+		    dns_view_staleanswerenabled(qctx->view))
+		{
+			qctx->options.stalefirst = true;
+		}
+
+		result = query_lookup(qctx);
+
+		/*
+		 * After fetch completes, this option is not expected to be set.
+		 */
+		qctx->options.stalefirst = false;
+
+		return result;
 	}
 
 	return query_prepare_delegation_response(qctx);