diff --git a/pdns/dnsdistdist/doh3.cc b/pdns/dnsdistdist/doh3.cc
index 640d0738fdfa..1a6150911071 100644
--- a/pdns/dnsdistdist/doh3.cc
+++ b/pdns/dnsdistdist/doh3.cc
@@ -298,7 +298,11 @@ static void h3_send_response(quiche_conn* quic_conn, quiche_h3_conn* conn, const
     },
   };
   quiche_h3_send_response(conn, quic_conn,
-                          streamID, headers, 2, false);
+                          streamID, headers, 2, len == 0);
+
+  if (len == 0) {
+    return;
+  }
 
   size_t pos = 0;
   while (pos < len) {
@@ -330,7 +334,12 @@ static void handleResponse(DOH3Frontend& frontend, H3Connection& conn, const uin
   else {
     ++frontend.d_errorResponses;
   }
-  h3_send_response(conn, streamID, statusCode, &response.at(0), response.size());
+  if (response.empty()) {
+    quiche_conn_stream_shutdown(conn.d_conn.get(), streamID, QUICHE_SHUTDOWN_WRITE, static_cast<uint64_t>(DOQ_Error_Codes::DOQ_UNSPECIFIED_ERROR));
+  }
+  else {
+    h3_send_response(conn, streamID, statusCode, &response.at(0), response.size());
+  }
 }
 
 static void fillRandom(PacketBuffer& buffer, size_t size)
diff --git a/pdns/dnsdistdist/doq.cc b/pdns/dnsdistdist/doq.cc
index e2fc597d132e..521314f6e507 100644
--- a/pdns/dnsdistdist/doq.cc
+++ b/pdns/dnsdistdist/doq.cc
@@ -271,17 +271,6 @@ class DOQCrossProtocolQuery : public CrossProtocolQuery
 
 std::shared_ptr<DOQTCPCrossQuerySender> DOQCrossProtocolQuery::s_sender = std::make_shared<DOQTCPCrossQuerySender>();
 
-/* from rfc9250 section-4.3 */
-enum class DOQ_Error_Codes : uint64_t
-{
-  DOQ_NO_ERROR = 0,
-  DOQ_INTERNAL_ERROR = 1,
-  DOQ_PROTOCOL_ERROR = 2,
-  DOQ_REQUEST_CANCELLED = 3,
-  DOQ_EXCESSIVE_LOAD = 4,
-  DOQ_UNSPECIFIED_ERROR = 5
-};
-
 static void handleResponse(DOQFrontend& frontend, Connection& conn, const uint64_t streamID, const PacketBuffer& response)
 {
   if (response.empty()) {
diff --git a/pdns/dnsdistdist/doq.hh b/pdns/dnsdistdist/doq.hh
index 64d080bfd113..efc50ef218f6 100644
--- a/pdns/dnsdistdist/doq.hh
+++ b/pdns/dnsdistdist/doq.hh
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "iputils.hh"
 #include "libssl.hh"
 #include "noinitvector.hh"
+#include "doq.hh"
 #include "stat_t.hh"
 #include "dnsdist-idstate.hh"
 
@@ -36,6 +37,17 @@ struct DownstreamState;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_DNS_OVER_QUIC
 
+/* from rfc9250 section-4.3 */
+enum class DOQ_Error_Codes : uint64_t
+{
+  DOQ_NO_ERROR = 0,
+  DOQ_INTERNAL_ERROR = 1,
+  DOQ_PROTOCOL_ERROR = 2,
+  DOQ_REQUEST_CANCELLED = 3,
+  DOQ_EXCESSIVE_LOAD = 4,
+  DOQ_UNSPECIFIED_ERROR = 5
+};
+
 struct DOQFrontend
 {
   DOQFrontend();