diff --git a/Watchdogs/System/network_watchdog.sh b/Watchdogs/System/network_watchdog.sh
index e809025..e502d52 100755
--- a/Watchdogs/System/network_watchdog.sh
+++ b/Watchdogs/System/network_watchdog.sh
@@ -270,7 +270,17 @@ log "$ICON_SUCCESS Internet reachable"
 # ==============================================================================================
 if [[ -n "$DDNS_DOMAIN" ]] && [[ -n "$DDNS_CONTAINER" ]]; then
     PUBLIC_IP=$(curl -sf --max-time 5 https://ifconfig.me 2>/dev/null | tr -d '[:space:]')
-    DNS_IP=$(dig +short "$DDNS_DOMAIN" @1.1.1.1 2>/dev/null | grep -Eo '[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+' | head -1)
+    # dig's failure text names the resolver it could not reach (";; communications error to
+    # 1.1.1.1#53: timed out"), so scraping its output for an address yields the server, not the
+    # answer — a guaranteed mismatch that restarts DDNS over what is only a DNS timeout. Trust
+    # the exit status, and anchor the match so only a bare answer line counts. NXDOMAIN exits 0
+    # with no output and correctly falls through to the "could not resolve" branch below.
+    if DNS_ANSWER=$(dig +short "$DDNS_DOMAIN" @1.1.1.1 2>/dev/null); then
+        DNS_IP=$(printf '%s\n' "$DNS_ANSWER" \
+            | grep -Eox '[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+' | head -1)
+    else
+        DNS_IP=""
+    fi
 
     if [[ -z "$PUBLIC_IP" ]]; then
         warn "Could not determine public IP — skipping DDNS check"