diff --git a/command/agent/dns.go b/command/agent/dns.go
index 0e5f8f195e..63810913c2 100644
--- a/command/agent/dns.go
+++ b/command/agent/dns.go
@@ -2,14 +2,15 @@ package agent
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/consul/structs"
-	"github.com/miekg/dns"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/consul/structs"
+	"github.com/miekg/dns"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -71,15 +72,14 @@ func NewDNSServer(agent *Agent, config *DNSConfig, logOutput io.Writer, domain s
 		mux.HandleFunc(consulDomain, srv.handleTest)
 	}
 	if len(recursors) > 0 {
-		validatedRecursors := []string{}
+		validatedRecursors := make([]string, len(recursors))
 
-		for _, recursor := range recursors {
+		for idx, recursor := range recursors {
 			recursor, err := recursorAddr(recursor)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Invalid recursor address: %v", err)
 			}
-
-			validatedRecursors = append(validatedRecursors, recursor)
+			validatedRecursors[idx] = recursor
 		}
 
 		srv.recursors = validatedRecursors
@@ -594,34 +594,35 @@ func (d *DNSServer) handleRecurse(resp dns.ResponseWriter, req *dns.Msg) {
 
 	// Recursively resolve
 	c := &dns.Client{Net: network}
-	for i,recursor := range d.recursors {
-		r, rtt, err := c.Exchange(req, recursor)
-
-		if i < len(d.recursors) && err != nil {
-			continue
-		} else if err != nil {
-			// On all of failure, return a SERVFAIL message
-			d.logger.Printf("[ERR] dns: recurse failed: %v", err)
-			m := &dns.Msg{}
-			m.SetReply(req)
-			m.RecursionAvailable = true
-			m.SetRcode(req, dns.RcodeServerFailure)
-			resp.WriteMsg(m)
+	var r *dns.Msg
+	var rtt time.Duration
+	var err error
+	for _, recursor := range d.recursors {
+		r, rtt, err = c.Exchange(req, recursor)
+		if err == nil {
+			// Forward the response
+			d.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] dns: recurse RTT for %v (%v)", q, rtt)
+			if err := resp.WriteMsg(r); err != nil {
+				d.logger.Printf("[WARN] dns: failed to respond: %v", err)
+			}
 			return
 		}
-		d.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] dns: recurse RTT for %v (%v)", q, rtt)
-
-		// Forward the response
-		if err := resp.WriteMsg(r); err != nil {
-			d.logger.Printf("[WARN] dns: failed to respond: %v", err)
-		}
+		d.logger.Printf("[ERR] dns: recurse failed: %v", err)
 	}
+
+	// If all resolvers fail, return a SERVFAIL message
+	d.logger.Printf("[ERR] dns: all resolvers failed for %v", q)
+	m := &dns.Msg{}
+	m.SetReply(req)
+	m.RecursionAvailable = true
+	m.SetRcode(req, dns.RcodeServerFailure)
+	resp.WriteMsg(m)
 }
 
 // resolveCNAME is used to recursively resolve CNAME records
 func (d *DNSServer) resolveCNAME(name string) []dns.RR {
 	// Do nothing if we don't have a recursor
-	if len(d.recursors) > 0 {
+	if len(d.recursors) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -631,20 +632,17 @@ func (d *DNSServer) resolveCNAME(name string) []dns.RR {
 
 	// Make a DNS lookup request
 	c := &dns.Client{Net: "udp"}
-	for i,recursor := range d.recursors {
-		r, rtt, err := c.Exchange(m, recursor)
-
-		if i < len(d.recursors) && err != nil {
-			continue
-		} else if err != nil {
-			d.logger.Printf("[ERR] dns: cname recurse failed: %v", err)
-			return nil
+	var r *dns.Msg
+	var rtt time.Duration
+	var err error
+	for _, recursor := range d.recursors {
+		r, rtt, err = c.Exchange(m, recursor)
+		if err == nil {
+			d.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] dns: cname recurse RTT for %v (%v)", name, rtt)
+			return r.Answer
 		}
-		d.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] dns: cname recurse RTT for %v (%v)", name, rtt)
-
-		// Return all the answers
-		return r.Answer
+		d.logger.Printf("[ERR] dns: cname recurse failed for %v: %v", name, err)
 	}
-
+	d.logger.Printf("[ERR] dns: all resolvers failed for %v", name)
 	return nil
 }