diff --git a/management/dns_update.py b/management/dns_update.py
index e1583528..9191a307 100755
--- a/management/dns_update.py
+++ b/management/dns_update.py
@@ -1102,7 +1102,7 @@ def set_secondary_dns(hostnames, env):
 	if len(hostnames) > 0:
 		# Validate that all hostnames are valid and that all zone-xfer IP addresses are valid.
 		resolver = dns.resolver.get_default_resolver()
-		resolver.timeout = 6
+		resolver.timeout = 3
 		for item in hostnames:
 			if not item.startswith("xfr:"):
 				# Resolve hostname.
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ def set_secondary_dns(hostnames, env):
 					except (dns.resolver.NoNameservers, dns.resolver.NXDOMAIN, dns.resolver.NoAnswer):
 						raise ValueError("Could not resolve the IP address of %s." % item)
 				except (dns.resolver.Timeout):
-					resolver.timeout = 7
+					resolver.timeout = 5
 					logging.warning('Timeout on resolving ipv4 address re-trying')
 					try:
 						response = resolver.resolve(item, "A")
@@ -1127,7 +1127,7 @@ def set_secondary_dns(hostnames, env):
 							raise ValueError("Could not resolve the IP address of %s." % item)
 					except (dns.resolver.Timeout):
 						raise ValueError("Could not resolve the IP address of %s due to timeout." % item)
-					resolver.timeout = 6
+					resolver.timeout = 3
 			else:
 				# Validate IP address.
 				try:
diff --git a/management/status_checks.py b/management/status_checks.py
index 2fdba742..93e0320f 100755
--- a/management/status_checks.py
+++ b/management/status_checks.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import dateutil.parser, dateutil.tz
 import idna
 import psutil
 import postfix_mta_sts_resolver.resolver
+import logging
 
 from dns_update import get_dns_zones, build_tlsa_record, get_custom_dns_config, get_secondary_dns, get_custom_dns_records
 from web_update import get_web_domains, get_domains_with_a_records
@@ -800,7 +801,7 @@ def query_dns(qname, rtype, nxdomain='[Not Set]', at=None, as_list=False):
 		resolver.nameservers = [at]
 
 	# Set a timeout so that a non-responsive server doesn't hold us back.
-	resolver.timeout = 5
+	resolver.timeout = 3
 
 	# Do the query.
 	try:
@@ -808,9 +809,21 @@ def query_dns(qname, rtype, nxdomain='[Not Set]', at=None, as_list=False):
 	except (dns.resolver.NoNameservers, dns.resolver.NXDOMAIN, dns.resolver.NoAnswer):
 		# Host did not have an answer for this query; not sure what the
 		# difference is between the two exceptions.
+		logging.info("No result for dns lookup %s, %s", qname, rtype)
 		return nxdomain
 	except dns.exception.Timeout:
-		return "[timeout]"
+		logging.info("Timeout on dns lookup %s, %s. Retrying", qname, rtype)
+		resolver.timeout = 5
+		try:
+			response = resolver.resolve(qname, rtype, search=True)
+		except (dns.resolver.NoNameservers, dns.resolver.NXDOMAIN, dns.resolver.NoAnswer):
+			# Host did not have an answer for this query; not sure what the
+			# difference is between the two exceptions.
+			logging.info("No result for dns lookup %s, %s (2)", qname, rtype)
+			return nxdomain
+		except dns.exception.Timeout:
+			logging.info("Timeout on dns lookup %s, %s.", qname, rtype)
+			return "[timeout]"
 
 	# Normalize IP addresses. IP address --- especially IPv6 addresses --- can
 	# be expressed in equivalent string forms. Canonicalize the form before