diff --git a/internal/resolver/iterative.go b/internal/resolver/iterative.go
index c2cd4d4..ebabe72 100644
--- a/internal/resolver/iterative.go
+++ b/internal/resolver/iterative.go
@@ -480,6 +480,7 @@ type queryState struct {
 	gotNXDomain bool
 	gotSERVFAIL bool
 	gotTimeout  bool
+	gotError    bool
 	hasRecords  bool
 }
 
@@ -517,7 +518,12 @@ func (r *Resolver) querySingleType(
 ) {
 	msg, err := r.queryDNS(ctx, nsIP, hostname, qtype)
 	if err != nil {
-		state.gotTimeout = true
+		var netErr net.Error
+		if errors.As(err, &netErr) && netErr.Timeout() {
+			state.gotTimeout = true
+		} else {
+			state.gotError = true
+		}
 
 		return
 	}
@@ -563,14 +569,22 @@ func classifyResponse(resp *NameserverResponse, state queryState) {
 	case state.gotTimeout && !state.hasRecords:
 		resp.Status = StatusTimeout
 		resp.Error = "all queries timed out"
-	case state.gotSERVFAIL && !state.hasRecords:
+	case (state.gotError || state.gotSERVFAIL) && !state.hasRecords:
 		resp.Status = StatusError
-		resp.Error = "server returned SERVFAIL"
+		resp.Error = errorMessageForState(state)
 	case !state.hasRecords && !state.gotNXDomain:
 		resp.Status = StatusNoData
 	}
 }
 
+func errorMessageForState(state queryState) string {
+	if state.gotSERVFAIL {
+		return "server returned SERVFAIL"
+	}
+
+	return "query failed due to non-timeout error"
+}
+
 // extractRecordValue formats a DNS RR value as a string.
 func extractRecordValue(rr dns.RR) string {
 	switch r := rr.(type) {