diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4f14c1d..d69dbc2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -412,7 +412,12 @@ anew each time, so no one root server gets every first query. A server that does
 not reply, refuses the query, or gives an error reply such as SERVFAIL or a
 referral that leads no closer to the name is passed over for the next one. When
 a referral names a zone's nameservers without their addresses, the addresses of
-all of them are looked up, so that each can be asked.
+all of them are looked up, so that each can be asked. When it gives addresses
+for only some of them, those are asked first, and the others are looked up and
+asked only if none of those gives a usable reply. Both hold in the walk to a
+name's nameservers and in the lookup of a nameserver's own address. Such a
+lookup can need others in turn; lookups go at most two deep, one inside another,
+so delegations that point at each other still end.
 
 This approach ensures:
 
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 927a598..f8380ad 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ trial run of the finished image: https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/149
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-02: nameservers a referral gives no address for are looked up when
+  needed, two deep at most; `pool.ntp.org`'s nameservers resolve (closes #221).
 - 2026-10-02: a resolver test that reads one record type from a nameserver's
   answer asks again when that type is missing from it (closes #218).
 - 2026-10-02: a plain `docker build .` of a clone stamps its tag or short
diff --git a/internal/resolver/export_test.go b/internal/resolver/export_test.go
index 17c57d7..9109c7a 100644
--- a/internal/resolver/export_test.go
+++ b/internal/resolver/export_test.go
@@ -48,12 +48,31 @@ func (r *Resolver) QueryEachNS(
 	return r.queryEachNS(ctx, nameservers, hostname, recordTypes())
 }
 
-// ResolveNSIPs exports resolveNSIPs for testing.
+// ResolveNSIPs exports resolveNSIPs for testing, looking each name up
+// as a lookup that no other lookup started.
 func (r *Resolver) ResolveNSIPs(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	nsNames []string,
 ) []string {
-	return r.resolveNSIPs(ctx, nsNames)
+	return r.resolveNSIPs(ctx, nsNames, 1)
+}
+
+// MaxLookupDepth exports maxLookupDepth for testing.
+const MaxLookupDepth = maxLookupDepth
+
+// QueryNameservers exports queryNameservers for testing.
+func (r *Resolver) QueryNameservers(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	given []string,
+	withoutAddresses []string,
+	zone string,
+	name string,
+	qtype uint16,
+	depth int,
+) (*dns.Msg, error) {
+	return r.queryNameservers(
+		ctx, given, withoutAddresses, zone, name, qtype, depth,
+	)
 }
 
 // RootServerList exports rootServerList for testing.
diff --git a/internal/resolver/iterative.go b/internal/resolver/iterative.go
index 1f06a24..ccf6160 100644
--- a/internal/resolver/iterative.go
+++ b/internal/resolver/iterative.go
@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ const (
 	maxRetries           = 2
 	maxDelegation        = 20
 	timeoutMultiplier    = 2
+
+	// maxLookupDepth is how many lookups of nameserver addresses may be
+	// under way one inside another. Looking up a nameserver's address
+	// can meet a referral that names nameservers without their
+	// addresses, which are then looked up in turn; without a limit,
+	// delegations that point at each other would never end. Each level
+	// multiplies the queries sent.
+	maxLookupDepth = 2
 )
 
 // ErrRefused is returned when a DNS server refuses a query.
@@ -198,13 +206,15 @@ func (r *Resolver) followDelegation(
 	// servers are the root servers, the servers of zone ".".
 	zone := "."
 
+	var withoutAddresses []string
+
 	for range maxDelegation {
 		if checkCtx(ctx) != nil {
 			return nil, ErrContextCanceled
 		}
 
-		resp, err := r.queryServers(
-			ctx, servers, zone, domain, dns.TypeNS,
+		resp, err := r.queryNameservers(
+			ctx, servers, withoutAddresses, zone, domain, dns.TypeNS, 0,
 		)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -229,18 +239,7 @@ func (r *Resolver) followDelegation(
 			return r.resolveNSIterative(ctx, domain)
 		}
 
-		glue := extractGlue(resp.Extra)
-		nextServers := glueIPs(authNS, glue)
-
-		if len(nextServers) == 0 {
-			nextServers = r.resolveNSIPs(ctx, authNS)
-		}
-
-		if len(nextServers) == 0 {
-			return nil, ErrNoNameservers
-		}
-
-		servers = nextServers
+		servers, withoutAddresses = referralNameservers(resp)
 		zone = referralZone(resp)
 	}
 
@@ -366,18 +365,80 @@ func nsSetFrom(resp *dns.Msg, domain string) []string {
 	return extractNSSet(resp.Answer)
 }
 
+// referralNameservers returns the IPv4 addresses that resp, a referral,
+// gives for the nameservers it names, and the names of the nameservers
+// it gives no address for.
+func referralNameservers(resp *dns.Msg) ([]string, []string) {
+	glue := extractGlue(resp.Extra)
+
+	var given, withoutAddresses []string
+
+	for _, ns := range extractNSSet(resp.Ns) {
+		ips := glueIPs([]string{ns}, glue)
+		if len(ips) == 0 {
+			withoutAddresses = append(withoutAddresses, ns)
+		}
+
+		given = append(given, ips...)
+	}
+
+	return given, withoutAddresses
+}
+
+// queryNameservers asks the servers of zone about name as queryServers
+// does: first those at given, the addresses a referral gave, and only
+// when none of them gives a usable reply, the nameservers named
+// withoutAddresses, once their addresses are looked up. depth is how
+// many lookups of a nameserver's address are under way, 0 in the walk
+// to a domain's nameservers; at maxLookupDepth, no address is looked
+// up.
+func (r *Resolver) queryNameservers(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	given []string,
+	withoutAddresses []string,
+	zone string,
+	name string,
+	qtype uint16,
+	depth int,
+) (*dns.Msg, error) {
+	err := fmt.Errorf(
+		"no address for any nameserver of %s: %w", zone, ErrNoNameservers,
+	)
+
+	if len(given) > 0 {
+		var resp *dns.Msg
+
+		resp, err = r.queryServers(ctx, given, zone, name, qtype)
+		if err == nil {
+			return resp, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(withoutAddresses) == 0 || depth >= maxLookupDepth {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	lookedUp := r.resolveNSIPs(ctx, withoutAddresses, depth+1)
+	if len(lookedUp) == 0 {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return r.queryServers(ctx, lookedUp, zone, name, qtype)
+}
+
 // resolveNSIPs returns the addresses of every nameserver in nsNames
-// whose name resolves, for a referral that carries none. The walk can
-// then go on to the zone's other nameservers when one gives no usable
-// reply.
+// whose name resolves, each looked up at depth (see resolveARecord).
+// The walk can then go on to the zone's other nameservers when one
+// gives no usable reply.
 func (r *Resolver) resolveNSIPs(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	nsNames []string,
+	depth int,
 ) []string {
 	var ips []string
 
 	for _, ns := range nsNames {
-		resolved, err := r.resolveARecord(ctx, ns)
+		resolved, err := r.resolveARecord(ctx, ns, depth)
 		if err == nil {
 			ips = append(ips, resolved...)
 		}
@@ -438,11 +499,14 @@ func (r *Resolver) resolveNSIterative(
 	return nil, ErrNoNameservers
 }
 
-// resolveARecord resolves a hostname to IPv4 addresses using
-// iterative resolution through the delegation chain.
+// resolveARecord resolves a hostname, a nameserver's name, to IPv4
+// addresses using iterative resolution through the delegation chain.
+// depth is how many lookups of a nameserver's address are under way,
+// this one included: 1 for a lookup that no other lookup started.
 func (r *Resolver) resolveARecord(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	hostname string,
+	depth int,
 ) ([]string, error) {
 	if checkCtx(ctx) != nil {
 		return nil, ErrContextCanceled
@@ -452,13 +516,16 @@ func (r *Resolver) resolveARecord(
 	servers := rootServerList()
 	zone := "."
 
+	var withoutAddresses []string
+
 	for range maxDelegation {
 		if checkCtx(ctx) != nil {
 			return nil, ErrContextCanceled
 		}
 
-		resp, err := r.queryServers(
-			ctx, servers, zone, hostname, dns.TypeA,
+		resp, err := r.queryNameservers(
+			ctx, servers, withoutAddresses, zone, hostname, dns.TypeA,
+			depth,
 		)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf(
@@ -485,17 +552,7 @@ func (r *Resolver) resolveARecord(
 			break
 		}
 
-		glue := extractGlue(resp.Extra)
-		nextServers := glueIPs(authNS, glue)
-
-		if len(nextServers) == 0 {
-			// Resolve NS IPs iteratively — but guard
-			// against infinite recursion by using only
-			// already-resolved servers.
-			break
-		}
-
-		servers = nextServers
+		servers, withoutAddresses = referralNameservers(resp)
 		zone = referralZone(resp)
 	}
 
@@ -584,7 +641,7 @@ func (r *Resolver) queryNameserver(
 		return nil, ErrContextCanceled
 	}
 
-	nsIPs, err := r.resolveARecord(ctx, nsHostname)
+	nsIPs, err := r.resolveARecord(ctx, nsHostname, 1)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("resolving NS %s: %w", nsHostname, err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/resolver/resolver_test.go b/internal/resolver/resolver_test.go
index a07c718..ab4ebf3 100644
--- a/internal/resolver/resolver_test.go
+++ b/internal/resolver/resolver_test.go
@@ -162,6 +162,85 @@ func TestResolveNSIPs_EveryNameserver(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.ElementsMatch(t, want, got)
 }
 
+// TestResolveNSIPs_ZoneDelegatedWithoutAddresses looks up the address
+// of a.ntpns.org, a nameserver of pool.ntp.org. The org servers delegate
+// ntpns.org to nameservers in other zones and give none of their
+// addresses, so those are looked up on the way.
+func TestResolveNSIPs_ZoneDelegatedWithoutAddresses(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	r := newTestResolver(t)
+	ips := liveResolveNSIPs(t, r, []string{"a.ntpns.org."}, 1)
+
+	for _, ip := range ips {
+		assert.NotNil(t, net.ParseIP(ip), "should be valid IP: %s", ip)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestQueryNameservers_GivenAddressesFail asks the servers of ntp.org
+// about pool.ntp.org, as the walk to a name under ntp.org does after the
+// org servers' referral. That referral names four nameservers and gives
+// an address for ns1.everett.org alone; here the given address is
+// 192.0.2.1, where nothing answers, so the other three must be looked
+// up and asked.
+func TestQueryNameservers_GivenAddressesFail(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	r := newTestResolver(t)
+
+	var resp *dns.Msg
+
+	livednstest.Retry(
+		t,
+		"QueryNameservers(192.0.2.1 and three ntp.org nameservers, "+
+			"pool.ntp.org)",
+		func(ctx context.Context) error {
+			var err error
+
+			resp, err = r.QueryNameservers(
+				ctx, []string{"192.0.2.1"},
+				[]string{"anyns.pch.net.", "dns1.udel.edu.", "dns2.udel.edu."},
+				"ntp.org.", "pool.ntp.org.", dns.TypeNS, 0,
+			)
+
+			return err
+		},
+	)
+
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, resolver.NSSetFrom(resp, "pool.ntp.org."))
+}
+
+// TestQueryNameservers_LookupDepth asks the servers of desec.io about
+// ns1.desec.io, giving no address and naming ns1.desec.io without one.
+// Below maxLookupDepth its address is looked up and it is asked. At the
+// limit it is not, so nothing can be asked: this is where lookups of
+// nameserver addresses stop when delegations point at each other.
+func TestQueryNameservers_LookupDepth(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	r := newTestResolver(t)
+	withoutAddresses := []string{"ns1.desec.io."}
+
+	livednstest.Retry(
+		t,
+		"QueryNameservers(ns1.desec.io without its address, ns1.desec.io)",
+		func(ctx context.Context) error {
+			_, err := r.QueryNameservers(
+				ctx, nil, withoutAddresses, "desec.io.", "ns1.desec.io.",
+				dns.TypeA, 0,
+			)
+
+			return err
+		},
+	)
+
+	_, err := r.QueryNameservers(
+		t.Context(), nil, withoutAddresses, "desec.io.", "ns1.desec.io.",
+		dns.TypeA, resolver.MaxLookupDepth,
+	)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, resolver.ErrNoNameservers)
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
 // QueryNameserver tests
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------