diff --git a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.c b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.c
index 5129412604e..e8c6108924a 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.c
+++ b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.c
@@ -125,18 +125,17 @@ void dns_scope_next_dns_server(DnsScope *s) {
                 manager_next_dns_server(s->manager);
 }
 
-int dns_scope_emit(DnsScope *s, DnsTransaction *t, DnsPacket *p, DnsServer **server) {
-        DnsServer *srv = NULL;
+int dns_scope_emit(DnsScope *s, int fd, DnsPacket *p) {
         union in_addr_union addr;
         int ifindex = 0, r;
         int family;
         uint16_t port;
         uint32_t mtu;
-        int fd;
 
         assert(s);
         assert(p);
         assert(p->protocol == s->protocol);
+        assert((s->protocol == DNS_PROTOCOL_DNS) != (fd < 0));
 
         if (s->link) {
                 mtu = s->link->mtu;
@@ -154,14 +153,6 @@ int dns_scope_emit(DnsScope *s, DnsTransaction *t, DnsPacket *p, DnsServer **ser
                 if (p->size + UDP_PACKET_HEADER_SIZE > mtu)
                         return -EMSGSIZE;
 
-                fd = transaction_dns_fd(t, &srv);
-                if (fd < 0)
-                        return fd;
-
-                family = srv->family;
-                addr = srv->address;
-                port = 53;
-
         } else if (s->protocol == DNS_PROTOCOL_LLMNR) {
 
                 if (DNS_PACKET_QDCOUNT(p) > 1)
@@ -190,9 +181,6 @@ int dns_scope_emit(DnsScope *s, DnsTransaction *t, DnsPacket *p, DnsServer **ser
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        if (server)
-                *server = srv;
-
         return 1;
 }
 
@@ -688,7 +676,7 @@ static int on_conflict_dispatch(sd_event_source *es, usec_t usec, void *userdata
                         return 0;
                 }
 
-                r = dns_scope_emit(scope, NULL, p, NULL);
+                r = dns_scope_emit(scope, -1, p);
                 if (r < 0)
                         log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to send conflict packet: %m");
         }
diff --git a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.h b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.h
index 9d08bc32596..29479ad5509 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.h
+++ b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-scope.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ struct DnsScope {
 int dns_scope_new(Manager *m, DnsScope **ret, Link *l, DnsProtocol p, int family);
 DnsScope* dns_scope_free(DnsScope *s);
 
-int dns_scope_emit(DnsScope *s, DnsTransaction *t, DnsPacket *p, DnsServer **server);
+int dns_scope_emit(DnsScope *s, int fd, DnsPacket *p);
 int dns_scope_tcp_socket(DnsScope *s, int family, const union in_addr_union *address, uint16_t port, DnsServer **server);
 int dns_scope_udp_dns_socket(DnsScope *s, DnsServer **server);
 
diff --git a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-transaction.c b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-transaction.c
index c4e055dfd85..956c2e99732 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-transaction.c
+++ b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-transaction.c
@@ -460,33 +460,33 @@ static int on_dns_packet(sd_event_source *s, int fd, uint32_t revents, void *use
         return 0;
 }
 
-int transaction_dns_fd(DnsTransaction *t, DnsServer **_server) {
-        DnsServer *server;
+static int dns_transaction_emit(DnsTransaction *t) {
         int r;
 
         assert(t);
-        assert(t->scope);
-        assert(t->scope->manager);
 
-        if (t->dns_fd >= 0)
-                return t->dns_fd;
+        if (t->scope->protocol == DNS_PROTOCOL_DNS && !t->server) {
+                DnsServer *server = NULL;
+                _cleanup_close_ int fd = -1;
 
-        t->dns_fd = dns_scope_udp_dns_socket(t->scope, &server);
-        if (t->dns_fd < 0)
-                return t->dns_fd;
+                fd = dns_scope_udp_dns_socket(t->scope, &server);
+                if (fd < 0)
+                        return fd;
 
-        r = sd_event_add_io(t->scope->manager->event, &t->dns_event_source, t->dns_fd, EPOLLIN, on_dns_packet, t);
+                r = sd_event_add_io(t->scope->manager->event, &t->dns_event_source, fd, EPOLLIN, on_dns_packet, t);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return r;
+
+                t->dns_fd = fd;
+                fd = -1;
+                t->server = dns_server_ref(server);
+        }
+
+        r = dns_scope_emit(t->scope, t->dns_fd, t->sent);
         if (r < 0)
-                goto fail;
+                return r;
 
-        if (_server)
-                *_server = server;
-
-        return t->dns_fd;
-
-fail:
-        t->dns_fd = safe_close(t->dns_fd);
-        return r;
+        return 0;
 }
 
 static int on_transaction_timeout(sd_event_source *s, usec_t usec, void *userdata) {
@@ -574,7 +574,6 @@ int dns_transaction_go(DnsTransaction *t) {
         }
 
         t->n_attempts++;
-        t->server = dns_server_unref(t->server);
         t->received = dns_packet_unref(t->received);
         t->cached = dns_answer_unref(t->cached);
         t->cached_rcode = 0;
@@ -654,13 +653,9 @@ int dns_transaction_go(DnsTransaction *t) {
                  * always be made via TCP on LLMNR */
                 r = dns_transaction_open_tcp(t);
         } else {
-                DnsServer *server;
-
                 /* Try via UDP, and if that fails due to large size try via TCP */
-                r = dns_scope_emit(t->scope, t, t->sent, &server);
-                if (r >= 0)
-                        t->server = dns_server_ref(server);
-                else if (r == -EMSGSIZE)
+                r = dns_transaction_emit(t);
+                if (r == -EMSGSIZE)
                         r = dns_transaction_open_tcp(t);
         }
         if (r == -ESRCH) {
diff --git a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-transaction.h b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-transaction.h
index ab4db0612fd..a8f4267bc84 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolved-dns-transaction.h
+++ b/src/resolve/resolved-dns-transaction.h
@@ -92,8 +92,6 @@ int dns_transaction_go(DnsTransaction *t);
 void dns_transaction_process_reply(DnsTransaction *t, DnsPacket *p);
 void dns_transaction_complete(DnsTransaction *t, DnsTransactionState state);
 
-int transaction_dns_fd(DnsTransaction *t, DnsServer **server);
-
 const char* dns_transaction_state_to_string(DnsTransactionState p) _const_;
 DnsTransactionState dns_transaction_state_from_string(const char *s) _pure_;