diff --git a/impit/src/http3.rs b/impit/src/http3.rs
index 5589c176..e911d1c8 100644
--- a/impit/src/http3.rs
+++ b/impit/src/http3.rs
@@ -10,14 +10,15 @@ use hickory_proto::ProtoError;
 use hickory_client::client::{Client, ClientHandle};
 use hickory_client::proto::runtime::iocompat::AsyncIoTokioAsStd;
 use hickory_client::proto::tcp::TcpClientStream;
+use log::debug;
 use tokio::net::TcpStream as TokioTcpStream;
 
 /// A struct encapsulating the components required to make HTTP/3 requests.
 pub struct H3Engine {
     /// The DNS client used to resolve DNS queries.
-    client: Arc<Mutex<Client>>,
+    client: Arc<Option<Mutex<Client>>>,
     /// The background task that processes DNS queries.
-    bg_join_handle: tokio::task::JoinHandle<Result<(), ProtoError>>,
+    bg_join_handle: Option<tokio::task::JoinHandle<Result<(), ProtoError>>>,
     /// A map of hosts that support HTTP/3.
     ///
     /// This is populated by the DNS queries and manual calls to `set_h3_support` (based on the `Alt-Svc` header).
@@ -34,14 +35,26 @@ impl H3Engine {
             None,
             TokioRuntimeProvider::new(),
         );
-        let (client, bg) = Client::new(stream, sender, None).await.unwrap();
+        let client_result = Client::new(stream, sender, None).await;
 
-        let bg_join_handle = tokio::spawn(bg);
+        match client_result {
+            Ok((client, bg)) => {
+                let bg_join_handle = tokio::spawn(bg);
 
-        H3Engine {
-            client: Arc::new(Mutex::new(client)),
-            bg_join_handle,
-            h3_alt_svc: Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
+                H3Engine {
+                    client: Arc::new(Some(Mutex::new(client))),
+                    bg_join_handle: Some(bg_join_handle),
+                    h3_alt_svc: Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
+                }
+            }
+            Err(err) => {
+                debug!("Failed to create DNS client for HTTP3 resolution: {}", err);
+                H3Engine {
+                    client: Arc::new(None),
+                    bg_join_handle: None,
+                    h3_alt_svc: Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -53,37 +66,44 @@ impl H3Engine {
             }
         }
 
-        let domain_name = Name::from_utf8(host).unwrap();
-
-        let response = {
-            let mut client = self.client.lock().await;
-            client
-                .query(
-                    domain_name,
-                    hickory_proto::rr::DNSClass::IN,
-                    hickory_proto::rr::RecordType::HTTPS,
-                )
-                .await
+        let domain_name = match Name::from_utf8(host) {
+            Ok(name) => name,
+            Err(_) => return false,
         };
 
-        let dns_h3_support = response.is_ok_and(|response| {
-            response.answers().iter().any(|answer| {
-                if let RData::HTTPS(data) = answer.data() {
-                    return data.svc_params().iter().any(|param| {
-                        if let SvcParamValue::Alpn(alpn_protocols) = param.1.clone() {
-                            return alpn_protocols.0.iter().any(|alpn| alpn == "h3");
-                        }
-
-                        false
-                    });
-                }
-                false
-            })
-        });
-
-        self.set_h3_support(host, dns_h3_support).await;
+        if let Some(client) = self.client.as_ref() {
+            let response = {
+                let mut client = client.lock().await;
+                client
+                    .query(
+                        domain_name,
+                        hickory_proto::rr::DNSClass::IN,
+                        hickory_proto::rr::RecordType::HTTPS,
+                    )
+                    .await
+            };
+
+            let dns_h3_support = response.is_ok_and(|response| {
+                response.answers().iter().any(|answer| {
+                    if let RData::HTTPS(data) = answer.data() {
+                        return data.svc_params().iter().any(|param| {
+                            if let SvcParamValue::Alpn(alpn_protocols) = param.1.clone() {
+                                return alpn_protocols.0.iter().any(|alpn| alpn == "h3");
+                            }
+
+                            false
+                        });
+                    }
+                    false
+                })
+            });
+
+            self.set_h3_support(host, dns_h3_support).await;
+
+            return dns_h3_support;
+        }
 
-        dns_h3_support
+        false
     }
 
     pub async fn set_h3_support(&self, host: &String, supports_h3: bool) {
@@ -98,6 +118,8 @@ impl H3Engine {
 
 impl Drop for H3Engine {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        self.bg_join_handle.abort();
+        if let Some(join_handle) = self.bg_join_handle.as_ref() {
+            join_handle.abort();
+        }
     }
 }