diff --git a/regress/178-last-resolver.lua b/regress/178-last-resolver.lua
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..601542b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/regress/178-last-resolver.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+_=[[
+	. "${0%%/*}/regress.sh"
+	exec runlua "$0" "$@"
+]]
+require"regress".export".*"
+
+local pool = dns.getpool()
+local r = pool:get()
+pool:put(r)
+local q = pool:get()
+check(r == q, "resolver not reused")
+
+say"OK"
diff --git a/src/dns.resolvers.lua b/src/dns.resolvers.lua
index 4c671ed..ecdff5b 100644
--- a/src/dns.resolvers.lua
+++ b/src/dns.resolvers.lua
@@ -115,17 +115,10 @@ local loader = function(loader, ...)
 		local res
 		while true do
 			local cache_len = #self.cache
-			if cache_len > 1 then
+			if cache_len > 0 then
 				res = self.cache[cache_len]
 				self.cache[cache_len] = nil
-				if res then
-					break
-				else
-					if deadline and deadline <= monotime() then
-						return nil, ETIMEDOUT
-					end
-					self.condvar:wait(totimeout(deadline))
-				end
+				break
 			elseif self.alive.n < self.hiwat then
 				local why
 				res, why = resolver.new(self.resconf, self.hosts, self.hints)
@@ -134,6 +127,9 @@ local loader = function(loader, ...)
 				end
 				break
 			end
+			if not self.condvar:wait(totimeout(deadline)) then
+				return nil, ETIMEDOUT
+			end
 		end
 		self.alive:add(res)
 		return res