diff --git a/rust/connlib/tunnel/src/io.rs b/rust/connlib/tunnel/src/io.rs
index 8febe9e7b..cb4e5ebb0 100644
--- a/rust/connlib/tunnel/src/io.rs
+++ b/rust/connlib/tunnel/src/io.rs
@@ -149,13 +149,8 @@ impl Io {
         self.sockets.poll_has_sockets(cx)
     }
 
-    pub fn fastest_nameserver(&self) -> io::Result<IpAddr> {
-        let ns = self
-            .nameservers
-            .fastest()
-            .ok_or(io::Error::other(NoNameserverAvailable))?;
-
-        Ok(ns)
+    pub fn fastest_nameserver(&self) -> Option<IpAddr> {
+        self.nameservers.fastest()
     }
 
     pub fn poll<'b>(
@@ -418,10 +413,6 @@ impl Io {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
-#[error("No nameserver available to handle DNS query")]
-pub struct NoNameserverAvailable;
-
 fn is_max_wg_packet_size(d: &DatagramIn) -> bool {
     let len = d.packet.len();
     if len > MAX_FZ_PAYLOAD {
diff --git a/rust/connlib/tunnel/src/lib.rs b/rust/connlib/tunnel/src/lib.rs
index 64a303277..afc142c15 100644
--- a/rust/connlib/tunnel/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/connlib/tunnel/src/lib.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ pub type ClientTunnel = Tunnel<ClientState>;
 
 pub use client::ClientState;
 pub use gateway::{DnsResourceNatEntry, GatewayState, ResolveDnsRequest};
-pub use io::NoNameserverAvailable;
 pub use sockets::UdpSocketThreadStopped;
 pub use utils::turn;
 
@@ -352,7 +351,16 @@ impl GatewayTunnel {
                     continue;
                 }
                 Poll::Ready(io::Input::UdpDnsQuery(query)) => {
-                    let nameserver = self.io.fastest_nameserver()?;
+                    let Some(nameserver) = self.io.fastest_nameserver() else {
+                        tracing::warn!(query = ?query.message, "No nameserver available to handle UDP DNS query");
+
+                        self.io.send_udp_dns_response(
+                            query.source,
+                            dns_types::Response::servfail(&query.message),
+                        )?;
+
+                        continue;
+                    };
 
                     self.io.send_dns_query(dns::RecursiveQuery::via_udp(
                         query.source,
@@ -361,7 +369,16 @@ impl GatewayTunnel {
                     ));
                 }
                 Poll::Ready(io::Input::TcpDnsQuery(query)) => {
-                    let nameserver = self.io.fastest_nameserver()?;
+                    let Some(nameserver) = self.io.fastest_nameserver() else {
+                        tracing::warn!(query = ?query.message, "No nameserver available to handle TCP DNS query");
+
+                        self.io.send_tcp_dns_response(
+                            query.remote,
+                            dns_types::Response::servfail(&query.message),
+                        )?;
+
+                        continue;
+                    };
 
                     self.io.send_dns_query(dns::RecursiveQuery::via_tcp(
                         query.local,
diff --git a/rust/gateway/src/eventloop.rs b/rust/gateway/src/eventloop.rs
index 59b029d28..fa6b3d756 100644
--- a/rust/gateway/src/eventloop.rs
+++ b/rust/gateway/src/eventloop.rs
@@ -122,12 +122,6 @@ impl Eventloop {
                         continue;
                     }
 
-                    if e.root_cause()
-                        .is::<firezone_tunnel::NoNameserverAvailable>()
-                    {
-                        return Poll::Ready(Err(e));
-                    }
-
                     if e.root_cause()
                         .is::<firezone_tunnel::UdpSocketThreadStopped>()
                     {