diff --git a/lib/dns/dispatch.c b/lib/dns/dispatch.c
index 82c019168d..f226d156bf 100644
--- a/lib/dns/dispatch.c
+++ b/lib/dns/dispatch.c
@@ -1217,11 +1217,6 @@ udp_recv(isc_event_t *ev_in, dns_dispatch_t *disp, dispsocket_t *dispsock) {
 			     "search for response in bucket %d: %s", bucket,
 			     (resp == NULL ? "not found" : "found"));
 
-		if (resp == NULL) {
-			inc_stats(mgr, dns_resstatscounter_mismatch);
-			free_buffer(disp, ev->region.base, ev->region.length);
-			goto unlock;
-		}
 	} else if (resp->id != id ||
 		   !isc_sockaddr_equal(&ev->address, &resp->host)) {
 		dispatch_log(disp, LVL(90),
@@ -1231,6 +1226,12 @@ udp_recv(isc_event_t *ev_in, dns_dispatch_t *disp, dispsocket_t *dispsock) {
 		goto unlock;
 	}
 
+	if (resp == NULL) {
+		inc_stats(mgr, dns_resstatscounter_mismatch);
+		free_buffer(disp, ev->region.base, ev->region.length);
+		goto unlock;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Now that we have the original dispatch the query was sent
 	 * from check that the address and port the response was