diff --git a/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/NameResolver.java b/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/NameResolver.java
index 2ac4ecae69e..0e8315e812c 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/NameResolver.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/io/grpc/NameResolver.java
@@ -97,8 +97,14 @@ public void onError(Status error) {
 
           @Override
           public void onResult(ResolutionResult resolutionResult) {
-            listener.onAddresses(resolutionResult.getAddressesOrError().getValue(),
-                resolutionResult.getAttributes());
+            StatusOr<List<EquivalentAddressGroup>> addressesOrError =
+                resolutionResult.getAddressesOrError();
+            if (addressesOrError.hasValue()) {
+              listener.onAddresses(addressesOrError.getValue(),
+                  resolutionResult.getAttributes());
+            } else {
+              listener.onError(addressesOrError.getStatus());
+            }
           }
       });
     }
diff --git a/api/src/test/java/io/grpc/NameResolverTest.java b/api/src/test/java/io/grpc/NameResolverTest.java
index ae8c080bd5c..82abe5c7505 100644
--- a/api/src/test/java/io/grpc/NameResolverTest.java
+++ b/api/src/test/java/io/grpc/NameResolverTest.java
@@ -192,6 +192,56 @@ public void resolutionResult_hashCode() {
         Objects.hashCode(StatusOr.fromValue(ADDRESSES), ATTRIBUTES, CONFIG));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void startOnOldListener_resolverReportsError() {
+    final boolean[] onErrorCalled = new boolean[1];
+    final Status[] receivedError = new Status[1];
+
+    NameResolver resolver = new NameResolver() {
+      @Override
+      public String getServiceAuthority() {
+        return "example.com";
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public void shutdown() {
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public void start(Listener2 listener2) {
+        ResolutionResult errorResult = ResolutionResult.newBuilder()
+            .setAddressesOrError(StatusOr.fromStatus(
+                Status.UNAVAILABLE
+                    .withDescription("DNS resolution failed with UNAVAILABLE")))
+            .build();
+
+        listener2.onResult(errorResult);
+      }
+    };
+
+    NameResolver.Listener listener = new NameResolver.Listener() {
+      @Override
+      public void onAddresses(
+          List<EquivalentAddressGroup> servers,
+          Attributes attributes) {
+        throw new AssertionError("Called onAddresses on error");
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public void onError(Status error) {
+        onErrorCalled[0] = true;
+        receivedError[0] = error;
+      }
+    };
+
+    resolver.start(listener);
+
+    assertThat(onErrorCalled[0]).isTrue();
+    assertThat(receivedError[0].getCode()).isEqualTo(Status.Code.UNAVAILABLE);
+    assertThat(receivedError[0].getDescription()).isEqualTo(
+        "DNS resolution failed with UNAVAILABLE");
+  }
+
   private static class FakeSocketAddress extends SocketAddress {
     final String name;