diff --git a/DnsServerCore/Dns/Applications/DnsServerInternal.cs b/DnsServerCore/Dns/Applications/DnsServerInternal.cs
index b8492ce1..377f94f1 100644
--- a/DnsServerCore/Dns/Applications/DnsServerInternal.cs
+++ b/DnsServerCore/Dns/Applications/DnsServerInternal.cs
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ namespace DnsServerCore.Dns.Applications
 
         #endregion
 
-        public Task<DnsDatagram> DirectQueryAsync(DnsQuestionRecord question, int timeout = 2000)
+        public Task<DnsDatagram> DirectQueryAsync(DnsQuestionRecord question)
         {
-            return _dnsServer.DirectQueryAsync(question, timeout);
+            return _dnsServer.DirectQueryAsync(question);
         }
 
         public void WriteLog(string message)
diff --git a/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/AuthZone.cs b/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/AuthZone.cs
index 71628cc1..ad55a9e9 100644
--- a/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/AuthZone.cs
+++ b/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/AuthZone.cs
@@ -169,8 +169,8 @@ namespace DnsServerCore.Dns.Zones
                 //resolve addresses
                 try
                 {
-                    DnsDatagram response = await dnsServer.DirectQueryAsync(new DnsQuestionRecord(nsDomain, DnsResourceRecordType.A, DnsClass.IN));
-                    if ((response != null) && (response.Answer.Count > 0))
+                    DnsDatagram response = await dnsServer.DirectQueryAsync(new DnsQuestionRecord(nsDomain, DnsResourceRecordType.A, DnsClass.IN)).WithTimeout(2000);
+                    if (response.Answer.Count > 0)
                     {
                         IReadOnlyList<IPAddress> addresses = DnsClient.ParseResponseA(response);
                         foreach (IPAddress address in addresses)
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ namespace DnsServerCore.Dns.Zones
                 {
                     try
                     {
-                        DnsDatagram response = await dnsServer.DirectQueryAsync(new DnsQuestionRecord(nsDomain, DnsResourceRecordType.AAAA, DnsClass.IN));
-                        if ((response != null) && (response.Answer.Count > 0))
+                        DnsDatagram response = await dnsServer.DirectQueryAsync(new DnsQuestionRecord(nsDomain, DnsResourceRecordType.AAAA, DnsClass.IN)).WithTimeout(2000);
+                        if (response.Answer.Count > 0)
                         {
                             IReadOnlyList<IPAddress> addresses = DnsClient.ParseResponseAAAA(response);
                             foreach (IPAddress address in addresses)
diff --git a/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/SecondaryZone.cs b/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/SecondaryZone.cs
index 2ae742a2..c5617cf1 100644
--- a/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/SecondaryZone.cs
+++ b/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/SecondaryZone.cs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Net;
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using TechnitiumLibrary.IO;
 using TechnitiumLibrary.Net.Dns;
 using TechnitiumLibrary.Net.Dns.ResourceRecords;
 
@@ -91,11 +92,11 @@ namespace DnsServerCore.Dns.Zones
             SecondaryZone secondaryZone = new SecondaryZone(dnsServer, name);
 
             DnsQuestionRecord soaQuestion = new DnsQuestionRecord(name, DnsResourceRecordType.SOA, DnsClass.IN);
-            DnsDatagram soaResponse = null;
+            DnsDatagram soaResponse;
 
             if (primaryNameServerAddresses == null)
             {
-                soaResponse = await secondaryZone._dnsServer.DirectQueryAsync(soaQuestion);
+                soaResponse = await secondaryZone._dnsServer.DirectQueryAsync(soaQuestion).WithTimeout(2000);
             }
             else
             {
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ namespace DnsServerCore.Dns.Zones
                 soaResponse = await dnsClient.ResolveAsync(soaQuestion);
             }
 
-            if ((soaResponse == null) || (soaResponse.Answer.Count == 0) || (soaResponse.Answer[0].Type != DnsResourceRecordType.SOA))
+            if ((soaResponse.Answer.Count == 0) || (soaResponse.Answer[0].Type != DnsResourceRecordType.SOA))
                 throw new DnsServerException("DNS Server failed to find SOA record for: " + name);
 
             DnsSOARecord receivedSoa = soaResponse.Answer[0].RDATA as DnsSOARecord;
diff --git a/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/StubZone.cs b/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/StubZone.cs
index a661de24..099a1407 100644
--- a/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/StubZone.cs
+++ b/DnsServerCore/Dns/Zones/StubZone.cs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using TechnitiumLibrary.IO;
 using TechnitiumLibrary.Net.Dns;
 using TechnitiumLibrary.Net.Dns.ResourceRecords;
 
@@ -76,11 +77,11 @@ namespace DnsServerCore.Dns.Zones
             StubZone stubZone = new StubZone(dnsServer, name);
 
             DnsQuestionRecord soaQuestion = new DnsQuestionRecord(name, DnsResourceRecordType.SOA, DnsClass.IN);
-            DnsDatagram soaResponse = null;
+            DnsDatagram soaResponse;
 
             if (primaryNameServerAddresses == null)
             {
-                soaResponse = await stubZone._dnsServer.DirectQueryAsync(soaQuestion);
+                soaResponse = await stubZone._dnsServer.DirectQueryAsync(soaQuestion).WithTimeout(2000);
             }
             else
             {
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ namespace DnsServerCore.Dns.Zones
                 soaResponse = await dnsClient.ResolveAsync(soaQuestion);
             }
 
-            if ((soaResponse == null) || (soaResponse.Answer.Count == 0) || (soaResponse.Answer[0].Type != DnsResourceRecordType.SOA))
+            if ((soaResponse.Answer.Count == 0) || (soaResponse.Answer[0].Type != DnsResourceRecordType.SOA))
                 throw new DnsServerException("DNS Server failed to find SOA record for: " + name);
 
             DnsSOARecord receivedSoa = soaResponse.Answer[0].RDATA as DnsSOARecord;