diff --git a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.c b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.c
index 80a1707407..351f2375df 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.c
+++ b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.c
@@ -608,6 +608,7 @@ DnsScopeMatch dns_scope_good_domain(
         /* This returns the following return values:
          *
          *    DNS_SCOPE_NO         → This scope is not suitable for lookups of this domain, at all
+         *    DNS_SCOPE_LAST_RESORT→ This scope is not suitable, unless we have no alternative
          *    DNS_SCOPE_MAYBE      → This scope is suitable, but only if nothing else wants it
          *    DNS_SCOPE_YES_BASE+n → This scope is suitable, and 'n' suffix labels match
          *
@@ -766,7 +767,7 @@ DnsScopeMatch dns_scope_good_domain(
 
                 if ((s->family == AF_INET && dns_name_endswith(domain, "in-addr.arpa") > 0) ||
                     (s->family == AF_INET6 && dns_name_endswith(domain, "ip6.arpa") > 0))
-                        return DNS_SCOPE_MAYBE;
+                        return DNS_SCOPE_LAST_RESORT;
 
                 if ((dns_name_endswith(domain, "local") > 0 && /* only resolve names ending in .local via mDNS */
                      dns_name_equal(domain, "local") == 0 &&   /* but not the single-label "local" name itself */
@@ -789,7 +790,7 @@ DnsScopeMatch dns_scope_good_domain(
 
                 if ((s->family == AF_INET && dns_name_endswith(domain, "in-addr.arpa") > 0) ||
                     (s->family == AF_INET6 && dns_name_endswith(domain, "ip6.arpa") > 0))
-                        return DNS_SCOPE_MAYBE;
+                        return DNS_SCOPE_LAST_RESORT;
 
                 if ((dns_name_is_single_label(domain) && /* only resolve single label names via LLMNR */
                      dns_name_equal(domain, "local") == 0 && /* don't resolve "local" with LLMNR, it's the top-level domain of mDNS after all, see above */
diff --git a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.h b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.h
index 76b6ed6838..23f147b8bd 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.h
+++ b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ typedef struct DnsScope DnsScope;
 
 typedef enum DnsScopeMatch {
         DNS_SCOPE_NO,
+        DNS_SCOPE_LAST_RESORT,
         DNS_SCOPE_MAYBE,
         DNS_SCOPE_YES_BASE, /* Add the number of matching labels to this */
         DNS_SCOPE_YES_END = DNS_SCOPE_YES_BASE + DNS_N_LABELS_MAX,