diff --git a/packages/engine/src/services/pageNetworkPolicy.browser.test.ts b/packages/engine/src/services/pageNetworkPolicy.browser.test.ts
index c996e6e8b6..020dc9882b 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/services/pageNetworkPolicy.browser.test.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/services/pageNetworkPolicy.browser.test.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ const answers: Record<string, string[]> = {
   "meta.hf-test": ["169.254.169.254"],
   "public.hf-test": ["8.8.8.8"],
 };
+let flakyLookups = 0;
 const resolveHost = async (host: string) => {
+  // Fails its first lookup only, like a passing DNS blip.
+  if (host === "flaky.hf-test" && flakyLookups++ === 0) throw new Error(`EAI_AGAIN ${host}`);
+  if (host === "flaky.hf-test") return ["8.8.4.4"];
   const found = answers[host];
   if (!found) throw new Error(`ENOTFOUND ${host}`);
   return found;
@@ -64,7 +68,7 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasBrowser)("restrictPageNetwork in Chrome", () => {
     // The render browser runs frames in-process (no site isolation); mirror that.
     browser = await launchTestChrome(chromePath, [
       "--disable-features=IsolateOrigins,site-per-process",
-      "--host-resolver-rules=MAP private.hf-test 127.0.0.1, MAP public.hf-test 127.0.0.1, MAP meta.hf-test 169.254.169.254",
+      "--host-resolver-rules=MAP private.hf-test 127.0.0.1, MAP public.hf-test 127.0.0.1, MAP flaky.hf-test 127.0.0.1, MAP meta.hf-test 169.254.169.254",
     ]);
   });
   afterEach(async () => {
@@ -174,6 +178,13 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasBrowser)("restrictPageNetwork in Chrome", () => {
     expect(otherHits).toEqual(["/public"]);
   });
 
+  it("asks again after a lookup fails, rather than refusing the host for the rest of the page", async () => {
+    const restricted = await openRestricted([]);
+    expect(await fetchText(restricted, `http://flaky.hf-test:${otherPort}/first`)).toBe("refused");
+    expect(await fetchText(restricted, `http://flaky.hf-test:${otherPort}/second`)).toBe("secret");
+    expect(otherHits).toEqual(["/second"]);
+  });
+
   it("refuses a name it cannot resolve", async () => {
     const refused: string[] = [];
     const restricted = await openRestricted(refused);
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/services/pageNetworkPolicy.ts b/packages/engine/src/services/pageNetworkPolicy.ts
index 687030f4cf..63cf4617c9 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/services/pageNetworkPolicy.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/services/pageNetworkPolicy.ts
@@ -8,16 +8,20 @@ type ResolveHost = (hostname: string) => Promise<string[]>;
 const systemResolveHost: ResolveHost = async (hostname) =>
   (await lookup(hostname, { all: true, verbatim: true })).map(({ address }) => address);
 
-async function isPublicHost(hostname: string, resolveHost: ResolveHost): Promise<boolean> {
+type HostVerdict = "public" | "non-public" | "unresolved";
+
+async function hostVerdict(hostname: string, resolveHost: ResolveHost): Promise<HostVerdict> {
   const host = hostname.replace(/^\[|\]$/g, "");
-  if (isBlockedNetworkHost(host)) return false;
-  if (isIP(host)) return true;
+  if (isBlockedNetworkHost(host)) return "non-public";
+  if (isIP(host)) return "public";
+  let addresses: string[];
   try {
-    const addresses = await resolveHost(host);
-    return addresses.length > 0 && !addresses.some((a) => isBlockedNetworkHost(a.split("%")[0]!));
+    addresses = await resolveHost(host);
   } catch {
-    return false;
+    return "unresolved";
   }
+  if (addresses.length === 0) return "unresolved";
+  return addresses.some((a) => isBlockedNetworkHost(a.split("%")[0]!)) ? "non-public" : "public";
 }
 
 /**
@@ -30,7 +34,10 @@ export async function restrictPageNetwork(
   resolveHost: ResolveHost = systemResolveHost,
 ): Promise<void> {
   const own = new URL(allowedOrigin).origin;
-  const verdicts = new Map<string, Promise<boolean>>();
+  const verdicts = new Map<string, Promise<HostVerdict>>();
+  const forgetFailedLookup = (host: string, asked: Promise<HostVerdict>, answer: HostVerdict) => {
+    if (answer === "unresolved" && verdicts.get(host) === asked) verdicts.delete(host);
+  };
   const allows = (url: string): Promise<boolean> => {
     let target: URL;
     try {
@@ -41,12 +48,15 @@ export async function restrictPageNetwork(
     if (target.origin === own || !/^(https?|wss?):$/.test(target.protocol)) {
       return Promise.resolve(true);
     }
-    let verdict = verdicts.get(target.hostname);
+    const host = target.hostname;
+    let verdict = verdicts.get(host);
     if (!verdict) {
-      verdict = isPublicHost(target.hostname, resolveHost);
-      verdicts.set(target.hostname, verdict);
+      const asked = hostVerdict(host, resolveHost);
+      verdicts.set(host, asked);
+      void asked.then((answer) => forgetFailedLookup(host, asked, answer));
+      verdict = asked;
     }
-    return verdict;
+    return verdict.then((answer) => answer === "public");
   };
   const client: CDPSession = await page.createCDPSession();
   client.on("Fetch.requestPaused", (event: Protocol.Fetch.RequestPausedEvent) => {