diff --git a/consul/prepared_query_endpoint.go b/consul/prepared_query_endpoint.go
index 7cbde1c71a..3840d069ca 100644
--- a/consul/prepared_query_endpoint.go
+++ b/consul/prepared_query_endpoint.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package consul
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -366,6 +367,7 @@ func tagFilter(tags []string, nodes structs.CheckServiceNodes) structs.CheckServ
 
 // queryServer is a wrapper that makes it easier to test the failover logic.
 type queryServer interface {
+	GetLogger() *log.Logger
 	GetOtherDatacentersByDistance() ([]string, error)
 	ForwardDC(method, dc string, args interface{}, reply interface{}) error
 }
@@ -375,9 +377,9 @@ type queryServerWrapper struct {
 	srv *Server
 }
 
-// ForwardDC calls into the server's RPC forwarder.
-func (q *queryServerWrapper) ForwardDC(method, dc string, args interface{}, reply interface{}) error {
-	return q.srv.forwardDC(method, dc, args, reply)
+// GetLogger returns the server's logger.
+func (q *queryServerWrapper) GetLogger() *log.Logger {
+	return q.srv.logger
 }
 
 // GetOtherDatacentersByDistance calls into the server's fn and filters out the
@@ -397,21 +399,35 @@ func (q *queryServerWrapper) GetOtherDatacentersByDistance() ([]string, error) {
 	return result, nil
 }
 
+// ForwardDC calls into the server's RPC forwarder.
+func (q *queryServerWrapper) ForwardDC(method, dc string, args interface{}, reply interface{}) error {
+	return q.srv.forwardDC(method, dc, args, reply)
+}
+
 // queryFailover runs an algorithm to determine which DCs to try and then calls
 // them to try to locate alternative services.
 func queryFailover(q queryServer, query *structs.PreparedQuery,
 	args *structs.PreparedQueryExecuteRequest,
 	reply *structs.PreparedQueryExecuteResponse) error {
 
-	// Build a candidate list of DCs, starting with the nearest N from RTTs.
+	// Pull the list of other DCs. This is sorted by RTT in case the user
+	// has selected that.
+	nearest, err := q.GetOtherDatacentersByDistance()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// This will help us filter unknown DCs supplied by the user.
+	known := make(map[string]struct{})
+	for _, dc := range nearest {
+		known[dc] = struct{}{}
+	}
+
+	// Build a candidate list of DCs to try, starting with the nearest N
+	// from RTTs.
 	var dcs []string
 	index := make(map[string]struct{})
 	if query.Service.Failover.NearestN > 0 {
-		nearest, err := q.GetOtherDatacentersByDistance()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
 		for i, dc := range nearest {
 			if !(i < query.Service.Failover.NearestN) {
 				break
@@ -424,8 +440,16 @@ func queryFailover(q queryServer, query *structs.PreparedQuery,
 
 	// Then add any DCs explicitly listed that weren't selected above.
 	for _, dc := range query.Service.Failover.Datacenters {
-		_, ok := index[dc]
-		if !ok {
+		// This will prevent a log of other log spammage if we do not
+		// attempt to talk to datacenters we don't know about.
+		if _, ok := known[dc]; !ok {
+			q.GetLogger().Printf("[DEBUG] consul.prepared_query: Skipping unknown datacenter '%s' in prepared query", dc)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// This will make sure we don't re-try something that fails
+		// from the NearestN list.
+		if _, ok := index[dc]; !ok {
 			dcs = append(dcs, dc)
 		}
 	}
@@ -442,7 +466,8 @@ func queryFailover(q queryServer, query *structs.PreparedQuery,
 			QueryOptions: args.QueryOptions,
 		}
 		if err := q.ForwardDC("PreparedQuery.ExecuteRemote", dc, remote, reply); err != nil {
-			return err
+			q.GetLogger().Printf("[WARN] consul.prepared_query: Failed querying for service '%s' in datacenter '%s': %s", query.Service.Service, dc, err)
+			continue
 		}
 
 		// We can stop if we found some nodes.