README.md

@@ -441,7 +441,12 @@ 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 three deep, one inside
+another, so delegations that point at each other still end.
 
 This approach ensures:
 

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 names without addresses are looked up,
+  three deep at most; `pool.ntp.org`'s nameservers resolve (closes #221).
 - 2026-10-02: an apex domain is not counted or listed as a hostname; its records
   show under Domains, and notifications about them say `Domain:` (closes #224).
 - 2026-10-02: the dashboard lists each nameserver's record types in one fixed

internal/resolver/errors.go

@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ var (
 		"CNAME chain depth exceeded",
 	)
 
+	// ErrLookupDepthExceeded is returned when nameserver addresses
+	// were not looked up because lookups were already maxLookupDepth
+	// deep, one inside another.
+	ErrLookupDepthExceeded = errors.New(
+		"lookups of nameserver addresses go too deep",
+	)
+
 	// ErrContextCanceled wraps context cancellation for the
 	// resolver's iterative queries.
 	ErrContextCanceled = errors.New("context canceled")

internal/resolver/export_test.go

@@ -55,12 +55,33 @@ 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)
+	ips, _ := r.resolveNSIPs(ctx, nsNames, 1)
+
+	return ips
+}
+
+// MaxLookupDepth exports maxLookupDepth for testing.
+const MaxLookupDepth = maxLookupDepth
+
+// QueryZone exports queryZone for testing.
+func (r *Resolver) QueryZone(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	given []string,
+	withoutAddresses []string,
+	zone string,
+	name string,
+	qtype uint16,
+	depth int,
+) (*dns.Msg, error) {
+	return r.queryZone(
+		ctx, given, withoutAddresses, zone, name, qtype, depth,
+	)
 }
 
 // RootServerList exports rootServerList for testing.

internal/resolver/iterative.go

@@ -19,6 +19,16 @@ 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. pool.ntp.org needs three: the
+	// address of its nameserver g.ntpns.org can need a.ntpns.org's,
+	// which needs a bitnames.com nameserver's.
+	maxLookupDepth = 3
 )
 
 // ErrRefused is returned when a DNS server refuses a query.
@@ -198,13 +208,15 @@ 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(
+		resp, err := r.queryZone(
-			ctx, servers, zone, domain, dns.TypeNS,
+			ctx, servers, withoutAddresses, zone, domain, dns.TypeNS, 0,
 		)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -229,18 +241,7 @@ func (r *Resolver) followDelegation(
 			return r.resolveNSIterative(ctx, domain)
 		}
 
-		glue := extractGlue(resp.Extra)
+		servers, withoutAddresses = referralNameservers(resp)
-		nextServers := glueIPs(authNS, glue)
-
-		if len(nextServers) == 0 {
-			nextServers = r.resolveNSIPs(ctx, authNS)
-		}
-
-		if len(nextServers) == 0 {
-			return nil, ErrNoNameservers
-		}
-
-		servers = nextServers
 		zone = referralZone(resp)
 	}
 
@@ -366,24 +367,110 @@ func nsSetFrom(resp *dns.Msg, domain string) []string {
 	return extractNSSet(resp.Answer)
 }
 
-// resolveNSIPs returns the addresses of every nameserver in nsNames
+// referralNameservers returns the IPv4 addresses that resp, a referral,
-// whose name resolves, for a referral that carries none. The walk can
+// gives for the nameservers it names, and the names of the nameservers
-// then go on to the zone's other nameservers when one gives no usable
+// it gives no address for.
-// reply.
+func referralNameservers(resp *dns.Msg) ([]string, []string) {
-func (r *Resolver) resolveNSIPs(
+	glue := extractGlue(resp.Extra)
-	ctx context.Context,
-	nsNames []string,
-) []string {
-	var ips []string
 
-	for _, ns := range nsNames {
+	var given, withoutAddresses []string
-		resolved, err := r.resolveARecord(ctx, ns)
+
+	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
+}
+
+// queryZone 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. When the limit is why none was found, here or in a lookup this
+// one started, the error is ErrLookupDepthExceeded.
+func (r *Resolver) queryZone(
+	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 {
-			ips = append(ips, resolved...)
+			return resp, nil
 		}
 	}
 
-	return ips
+	if len(withoutAddresses) == 0 {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if depth >= maxLookupDepth {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
+			"addresses of the nameservers of %s not looked up: %w",
+			zone, ErrLookupDepthExceeded,
+		)
+	}
+
+	lookedUp, limitErr := r.resolveNSIPs(ctx, withoutAddresses, depth+1)
+	if limitErr != nil {
+		return nil, limitErr
+	}
+
+	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, 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. When none resolves and the depth limit
+// stopped one of the lookups, it returns that lookup's error.
+func (r *Resolver) resolveNSIPs(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	nsNames []string,
+	depth int,
+) ([]string, error) {
+	var (
+		ips      []string
+		limitErr error
+	)
+
+	for _, ns := range nsNames {
+		resolved, err := r.resolveARecord(ctx, ns, depth)
+
+		switch {
+		case err == nil:
+			ips = append(ips, resolved...)
+		case errors.Is(err, ErrLookupDepthExceeded):
+			limitErr = err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(ips) > 0 {
+		return ips, nil
+	}
+
+	return nil, limitErr
 }
 
 // resolveNSIterative queries for NS records using iterative
@@ -438,11 +525,14 @@ func (r *Resolver) resolveNSIterative(
 	return nil, ErrNoNameservers
 }
 
-// resolveARecord resolves a hostname to IPv4 addresses using
+// resolveARecord resolves a hostname, a nameserver's name, to IPv4
-// iterative resolution through the delegation chain.
+// 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 +542,16 @@ func (r *Resolver) resolveARecord(
 	servers := rootServerList()
 	zone := "."
 
+	var withoutAddresses []string
+
 	for range maxDelegation {
 		if checkCtx(ctx) != nil {
 			return nil, ErrContextCanceled
 		}
 
-		resp, err := r.queryServers(
+		resp, err := r.queryZone(
-			ctx, servers, zone, hostname, dns.TypeA,
+			ctx, servers, withoutAddresses, zone, hostname, dns.TypeA,
+			depth,
 		)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf(
@@ -485,17 +578,7 @@ func (r *Resolver) resolveARecord(
 			break
 		}
 
-		glue := extractGlue(resp.Extra)
+		servers, withoutAddresses = referralNameservers(resp)
-		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
 		zone = referralZone(resp)
 	}
 
@@ -584,7 +667,7 @@ 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)
 	}

internal/resolver/resolver_test.go

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package resolver_test
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"net"
@@ -162,6 +163,112 @@ 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)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestQueryZone_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 TestQueryZone_GivenAddressesFail(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	r := newTestResolver(t)
+
+	var resp *dns.Msg
+
+	livednstest.Retry(
+		t,
+		"QueryZone(192.0.2.1 and three ntp.org nameservers, pool.ntp.org)",
+		func(ctx context.Context) error {
+			var err error
+
+			resp, err = r.QueryZone(
+				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."))
+}
+
+// TestQueryZone_LookupDepth asks the servers of g.ntpns.org, a
+// nameserver of pool.ntp.org, for its address, as looking that address
+// up does when anyns.pch.net, one of the servers of ntpns.org, gives the
+// referral to g.ntpns.org without addresses. Their addresses are looked
+// up (here only a.ntpns.org's), and that needs a bitnames.com
+// nameserver's address, as the org servers delegate ntpns.org without
+// addresses. From depth 1, where looking up g.ntpns.org's address
+// starts, that makes three lookups and the address is found. From one
+// below maxLookupDepth, the bitnames.com lookup would be past the limit,
+// so nothing can be asked, and the error says the limit is why.
+func TestQueryZone_LookupDepth(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	r := newTestResolver(t)
+	withoutAddresses := []string{"a.ntpns.org."}
+
+	var resp *dns.Msg
+
+	livednstest.Retry(
+		t,
+		"QueryZone(a.ntpns.org without its address, g.ntpns.org)",
+		func(ctx context.Context) error {
+			var err error
+
+			resp, err = r.QueryZone(
+				ctx, nil, withoutAddresses, "g.ntpns.org.", "g.ntpns.org.",
+				dns.TypeA, 1,
+			)
+
+			return err
+		},
+	)
+
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, resp.Answer)
+
+	var limitErr error
+
+	// Any other error is live DNS not answering, and is retried.
+	livednstest.Retry(
+		t,
+		"QueryZone(a.ntpns.org without its address, g.ntpns.org, "+
+			"one below the limit)",
+		func(ctx context.Context) error {
+			_, limitErr = r.QueryZone(
+				ctx, nil, withoutAddresses, "g.ntpns.org.", "g.ntpns.org.",
+				dns.TypeA, resolver.MaxLookupDepth-1,
+			)
+			if limitErr == nil ||
+				errors.Is(limitErr, resolver.ErrLookupDepthExceeded) {
+				return nil
+			}
+
+			return limitErr
+		},
+	)
+
+	require.ErrorIs(t, limitErr, resolver.ErrLookupDepthExceeded)
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
 // QueryNameserver tests
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -185,6 +292,20 @@ func TestQueryNameserver_BasicA(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 }
 
+// TestQueryNameserver_ZoneDelegatedWithoutAddresses asks a.ntpns.org, a
+// nameserver of pool.ntp.org, about pool.ntp.org, as the watcher does.
+// The org servers delegate ntpns.org without the addresses of its
+// nameservers, so finding a.ntpns.org's address needs a lookup inside
+// the one QueryNameserver starts.
+func TestQueryNameserver_ZoneDelegatedWithoutAddresses(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	r := newTestResolver(t)
+	resp := liveQueryNameserver(t, r, "a.ntpns.org.", "pool.ntp.org", "A")
+
+	assert.Equal(t, resolver.StatusOK, resp.Status)
+}
+
 func TestQueryNameserver_AAAA(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -681,6 +802,21 @@ func TestLookupNS_MatchesFindAuthoritative(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, fromFind, fromLookup)
 }
 
+// TestLookupNS_ParentZoneDelegatedWithoutAddresses looks up the
+// nameservers of g.ntpns.org. The org servers delegate its parent zone,
+// ntpns.org, without the addresses of its nameservers, so the walk has
+// to look them up to ask them. If it did not, the walk for g.ntpns.org
+// would fail and LookupNS would return the nameservers of ntpns.org,
+// which a.ntpns.org is not one of.
+func TestLookupNS_ParentZoneDelegatedWithoutAddresses(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	r := newTestResolver(t)
+	nameservers := liveLookupNS(t, r, "g.ntpns.org")
+
+	assert.Contains(t, nameservers, "a.ntpns.org.")
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
 // ResolveIPAddresses tests
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------