diff --git a/internal/output/stats.go b/internal/output/stats.go
index a6b0456..b7c1aa2 100644
--- a/internal/output/stats.go
+++ b/internal/output/stats.go
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ func summaryTypeLabel(respType string) string {
 		return "query type not implemented by server"
 	case "cname_loop":
 		return "resulted in a CNAME loop"
+	case "ns_error":
+		return "nameserver lookup failed"
 	case "error":
 		return "resulted in an error"
 	case "referral":
diff --git a/internal/output/stats_test.go b/internal/output/stats_test.go
index 90f9875..25ca90a 100644
--- a/internal/output/stats_test.go
+++ b/internal/output/stats_test.go
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ func TestSummaryTypeLabelAllTypes(t *testing.T) {
 		"refused":    "query refused by server",
 		"notimp":     "query type not implemented by server",
 		"cname_loop": "resulted in a CNAME loop",
+		"ns_error":   "nameserver lookup failed",
 		"error":      "resulted in an error",
 		"referral":   "resulted in a referral",
 		"unknown_type": "unknown_type",
diff --git a/internal/output/text.go b/internal/output/text.go
index dd43c0c..53b657a 100644
--- a/internal/output/text.go
+++ b/internal/output/text.go
@@ -220,6 +220,12 @@ func (f *textFormatter) formatResultLine(result traverse.TraversalResult) string
 			msg = result.Response.ErrorMessage
 		}
 		return f.colorize(fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", prob, msg), colorRed)
+	case traverse.RespNSResolutionFailed:
+		msg := "nameserver lookup failed"
+		if result.Response.ErrorMessage != "" {
+			msg = result.Response.ErrorMessage
+		}
+		return f.colorize(fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", prob, msg), colorYellow)
 	case traverse.RespError:
 		msg := "resulted in an error"
 		if result.Response.ErrorMessage != "" {
diff --git a/internal/output/text_test.go b/internal/output/text_test.go
index 6cc95e5..d760599 100644
--- a/internal/output/text_test.go
+++ b/internal/output/text_test.go
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ Answers: []miekgdns.RR{
 {"refused", traverse.RespREFUSED, nil, ""},
 {"notimp", traverse.RespNOTIMPL, nil, ""},
 {"cname_loop", traverse.RespCNAMELoop, nil, "loop detected"},
+{"ns_error", traverse.RespNSResolutionFailed, nil, "nameserver ns1.example.com could not be resolved"},
 {"error", traverse.RespError, nil, "something went wrong"},
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/traverse/response.go b/internal/traverse/response.go
index 81620f4..6803777 100644
--- a/internal/traverse/response.go
+++ b/internal/traverse/response.go
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ const (
 	RespNOTIMPL
 	RespCNAMELoop
 	RespError
+	// RespNSResolutionFailed indicates that the traversal could not resolve the
+	// IP address of an in-bailiwick nameserver.  The domain may still be
+	// reachable in practice (e.g. via glue records held by the registry), but
+	// the iterative traversal could not complete that path.
+	RespNSResolutionFailed
 )
 
 func (rt ResponseType) String() string {
@@ -44,6 +49,8 @@ func (rt ResponseType) String() string {
 		return "cname_loop"
 	case RespError:
 		return "error"
+	case RespNSResolutionFailed:
+		return "ns_error"
 	default:
 		return "unknown"
 	}
@@ -231,7 +238,7 @@ func (r *Response) resolveGlue(child *Referral) {
 
 func (r *Response) IsTerminal() bool {
 	switch r.Type {
-	case RespAnswer, RespNODATA, RespNXDOMAIN, RespSERVFAIL, RespREFUSED, RespNOTIMPL, RespCNAMELoop, RespError:
+	case RespAnswer, RespNODATA, RespNXDOMAIN, RespSERVFAIL, RespREFUSED, RespNOTIMPL, RespCNAMELoop, RespError, RespNSResolutionFailed:
 		return true
 	default:
 		return false
diff --git a/internal/traverse/response_test.go b/internal/traverse/response_test.go
index efdcc69..a7bfac1 100644
--- a/internal/traverse/response_test.go
+++ b/internal/traverse/response_test.go
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ func TestResponseIsTerminal(t *testing.T) {
 		{RespNXDOMAIN, true},
 		{RespSERVFAIL, true},
 		{RespError, true},
+		{RespNSResolutionFailed, true},
 		{RespReferral, false},
 		{RespCNAMEFollow, false},
 	}
@@ -272,6 +273,7 @@ func TestResponseTypeString(t *testing.T) {
 		{RespNXDOMAIN, "nxdomain"},
 		{RespSERVFAIL, "servfail"},
 		{RespError, "error"},
+		{RespNSResolutionFailed, "ns_error"},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
diff --git a/internal/traverse/traverser.go b/internal/traverse/traverser.go
index b6baea2..e139db1 100644
--- a/internal/traverse/traverser.go
+++ b/internal/traverse/traverser.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -231,10 +232,15 @@ func (t *Traverser) processReferral(ctx context.Context, ref *Referral, cache *I
 			ref.State = StateResolved
 		} else {
 			addrs, err := t.ResolveNS(ctx, ref.Name, cache, visitedCopy, t.depth)
+			nsName := strings.TrimSuffix(ref.Bailiwick, ".")
+			if nsName == "" || nsName == "." {
+				nsName = strings.TrimSuffix(ref.Name, ".")
+			}
 			if err != nil {
 				return &Response{
-					Referral: ref,
-					Type:     RespError,
+					Referral:     ref,
+					Type:         RespNSResolutionFailed,
+					ErrorMessage: fmt.Sprintf("nameserver %s could not be resolved", nsName),
 				}
 			}
 			if len(addrs) > 0 {
@@ -242,8 +248,9 @@ func (t *Traverser) processReferral(ctx context.Context, ref *Referral, cache *I
 				ref.State = StateResolved
 			} else {
 				return &Response{
-					Referral: ref,
-					Type:     RespError,
+					Referral:     ref,
+					Type:         RespNSResolutionFailed,
+					ErrorMessage: fmt.Sprintf("nameserver %s could not be resolved", nsName),
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -360,7 +367,7 @@ func (t *Traverser) ResolveNS(ctx context.Context, nsName string, cache *InfoCac
 			break
 		}
 
-		if resp.Type == RespSERVFAIL || resp.Type == RespError {
+		if resp.Type == RespSERVFAIL || resp.Type == RespError || resp.Type == RespNSResolutionFailed {
 			lastErr = fmt.Errorf("server error resolving %s: %s", nsName, resp.Type)
 			continue
 		}