diff --git a/src/knot/server/xfr-handler.c b/src/knot/server/xfr-handler.c
index e3d112a265b08fc0849a0589a3ef3bb6bd7818ce..b577b80716a6c9ab32e243c713206aaf4ce0b23a 100644
--- a/src/knot/server/xfr-handler.c
+++ b/src/knot/server/xfr-handler.c
@@ -271,10 +271,11 @@ static int xfr_task_connect(knot_ns_xfr_t *rq)
 			socket_close(fd);
 			return KNOT_ECONNREFUSED;
 		}
-
-		rq->flags |= XFR_FLAG_CONNECTING;
 	}
 
+	/* Set up for UDP as well to trigger 'send query' event. */
+	rq->flags |= XFR_FLAG_CONNECTING;
+
 	/* Store new socket descriptor. */
 	rq->session = fd;
 	return KNOT_EOK;