diff --git a/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr-int.h b/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr-int.h
index c13b6fae99..f4cb5dd8fc 100644
--- a/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr-int.h
+++ b/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr-int.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
  */
 #define ISC_NETMGR_UDP_RECVBUF_SIZE UINT16_MAX
 #endif
+#define ISC_NETMGR_UDP_SENDBUF_SIZE UINT16_MAX
 
 /*
  * The TCP send and receive buffers can fit one maximum sized DNS message plus
diff --git a/lib/isc/netmgr/udp.c b/lib/isc/netmgr/udp.c
index 1956a185ef..f9f528ffb1 100644
--- a/lib/isc/netmgr/udp.c
+++ b/lib/isc/netmgr/udp.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <isc/buffer.h>
 #include <isc/condition.h>
 #include <isc/errno.h>
+#include <isc/log.h>
 #include <isc/magic.h>
 #include <isc/mem.h>
 #include <isc/netmgr.h>
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <isc/region.h>
 #include <isc/result.h>
 #include <isc/sockaddr.h>
+#include <isc/stdtime.h>
 #include <isc/thread.h>
 #include <isc/util.h>
 
@@ -809,6 +811,21 @@ udp_send_cb(uv_udp_send_t *req, int status) {
 	isc__nm_sendcb(sock, uvreq, result, false);
 }
 
+static _Atomic(isc_stdtime_t) last_udpsends_log = 0;
+
+static bool
+can_log_udp_sends(void) {
+	isc_stdtime_t now;
+
+	isc_stdtime_get(&now);
+	isc_stdtime_t last = atomic_exchange_relaxed(&last_udpsends_log, now);
+	if (now != last) {
+		return (true);
+	}
+
+	return (false);
+}
+
 /*
  * udp_send_direct sends buf to a peer on a socket. Sock has to be in
  * the same thread as the callee.
@@ -840,10 +857,35 @@ udp_send_direct(isc_nmsocket_t *sock, isc__nm_uvreq_t *req,
 	}
 #endif
 
-	r = uv_udp_send(&req->uv_req.udp_send, &sock->uv_handle.udp,
-			&req->uvbuf, 1, sa, udp_send_cb);
-	if (r < 0) {
-		return (isc__nm_uverr2result(r));
+	if (uv_udp_get_send_queue_size(&sock->uv_handle.udp) >
+	    ISC_NETMGR_UDP_SENDBUF_SIZE)
+	{
+		/*
+		 * The kernel UDP send queue is full, try sending the UDP
+		 * response synchronously instead of just failing.
+		 */
+		r = uv_udp_try_send(&sock->uv_handle.udp, &req->uvbuf, 1, sa);
+		if (r < 0) {
+			if (can_log_udp_sends()) {
+				isc_log_write(isc_lctx, ISC_LOGCATEGORY_GENERAL,
+					      ISC_LOGMODULE_NETMGR,
+					      ISC_LOG_ERROR,
+					      "Sending UDP messages failed: %s",
+					      isc_result_totext(
+						      isc__nm_uverr2result(r)));
+			}
+
+			return (isc__nm_uverr2result(r));
+		}
+
+		isc__nm_sendcb(sock, req, ISC_R_SUCCESS, true);
+	} else {
+		/* Send the message asynchronously */
+		r = uv_udp_send(&req->uv_req.udp_send, &sock->uv_handle.udp,
+				&req->uvbuf, 1, sa, udp_send_cb);
+		if (r < 0) {
+			return (isc__nm_uverr2result(r));
+		}
 	}
 
 	return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
diff --git a/lib/isc/netmgr/uv-compat.h b/lib/isc/netmgr/uv-compat.h
index f0a0d2de00..ec99208830 100644
--- a/lib/isc/netmgr/uv-compat.h
+++ b/lib/isc/netmgr/uv-compat.h
@@ -127,4 +127,5 @@ isc_uv_tcp_freebind(uv_tcp_t *handle, const struct sockaddr *addr,
 
 #if UV_VERSION_HEX < UV_VERSION(1, 19, 0)
 #define uv_stream_get_write_queue_size(stream) ((stream)->write_queue_size)
+#define uv_udp_get_send_queue_size(handle)     ((handle)->send_queue_size)
 #endif /* UV_VERSION_HEX < UV_VERSION(1, 19, 0) */