diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolver.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolver.java
index ce787ebbed..ae5fa04578 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolver.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolver.java
@@ -31,16 +31,21 @@
 
 package io.grpc;
 
+import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 
-import io.grpc.internal.GrpcUtil;
 import io.grpc.internal.SharedResourceHolder;
+import io.grpc.internal.SharedResourceHolder.Resource;
 
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.net.URI;
+import java.net.UnknownHostException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 import javax.annotation.concurrent.GuardedBy;
@@ -50,21 +55,33 @@ import javax.annotation.concurrent.GuardedBy;
  *
  * @see DnsNameResolverFactory
  */
-final class DnsNameResolver extends NameResolver {
+class DnsNameResolver extends NameResolver {
   private final String authority;
   private final String host;
   private final int port;
+  private final Resource<ScheduledExecutorService> timerServiceResource;
+  private final Resource<ExecutorService> executorResource;
+  @GuardedBy("this")
+  private boolean shutdown;
+  @GuardedBy("this")
+  private ScheduledExecutorService timerService;
   @GuardedBy("this")
   private ExecutorService executor;
   @GuardedBy("this")
+  private ScheduledFuture<?> resolutionTask;
+  @GuardedBy("this")
   private boolean resolving;
   @GuardedBy("this")
   private Listener listener;
 
-  DnsNameResolver(@Nullable String nsAuthority, String name, Attributes params) {
+  DnsNameResolver(@Nullable String nsAuthority, String name, Attributes params,
+      Resource<ScheduledExecutorService> timerServiceResource,
+      Resource<ExecutorService> executorResource) {
     // TODO: if a DNS server is provided as nsAuthority, use it.
     // https://www.captechconsulting.com/blogs/accessing-the-dusty-corners-of-dns-with-java
 
+    this.timerServiceResource = timerServiceResource;
+    this.executorResource = executorResource;
     // Must prepend a "//" to the name when constructing a URI, otherwise it will be treated as an
     // opaque URI, thus the authority and host of the resulted URI would be null.
     URI nameUri = URI.create("//" + name);
@@ -85,39 +102,55 @@ final class DnsNameResolver extends NameResolver {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public String getServiceAuthority() {
+  public final String getServiceAuthority() {
     return authority;
   }
 
   @Override
-  public synchronized void start(Listener listener) {
-    Preconditions.checkState(executor == null, "already started");
-    executor = SharedResourceHolder.get(GrpcUtil.SHARED_CHANNEL_EXECUTOR);
-    this.listener = listener;
+  public final synchronized void start(Listener listener) {
+    Preconditions.checkState(this.listener == null, "already started");
+    timerService = SharedResourceHolder.get(timerServiceResource);
+    executor = SharedResourceHolder.get(executorResource);
+    this.listener = Preconditions.checkNotNull(listener, "listener");
     resolve();
   }
 
   @Override
-  public synchronized void refresh() {
-    Preconditions.checkState(executor != null, "not started");
+  public final synchronized void refresh() {
+    Preconditions.checkState(listener != null, "not started");
     resolve();
   }
 
-  @GuardedBy("this")
-  private void resolve() {
-    if (resolving) {
-      return;
-    }
-    resolving = true;
-    final Listener savedListener = Preconditions.checkNotNull(listener);
-    executor.execute(new Runnable() {
+  private final Runnable resolutionRunnable = new Runnable() {
       @Override
       public void run() {
         InetAddress[] inetAddrs;
+        Listener savedListener;
+        synchronized (DnsNameResolver.this) {
+          // If this task is started by refresh(), there might already be a scheduled task.
+          if (resolutionTask != null) {
+            resolutionTask.cancel(false);
+            resolutionTask = null;
+          }
+          if (shutdown) {
+            return;
+          }
+          savedListener = listener;
+          resolving = true;
+        }
         try {
           try {
-            inetAddrs = InetAddress.getAllByName(host);
-          } catch (Exception e) {
+            inetAddrs = getAllByName(host);
+          } catch (UnknownHostException e) {
+            synchronized (DnsNameResolver.this) {
+              if (shutdown) {
+                return;
+              }
+              // Because timerService is the single-threaded GrpcUtil.TIMER_SERVICE in production,
+              // we need to delegate the blocking work to the executor
+              resolutionTask = timerService.schedule(resolutionRunnableOnExecutor,
+                  1, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
+            }
             savedListener.onError(Status.UNAVAILABLE.withCause(e));
             return;
           }
@@ -135,17 +168,51 @@ final class DnsNameResolver extends NameResolver {
           }
         }
       }
-    });
+    };
+
+  private final Runnable resolutionRunnableOnExecutor = new Runnable() {
+      @Override
+      public void run() {
+        synchronized (DnsNameResolver.this) {
+          if (!shutdown) {
+            executor.execute(resolutionRunnable);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+  // To be mocked out in tests
+  @VisibleForTesting
+  InetAddress[] getAllByName(String host) throws UnknownHostException {
+    return InetAddress.getAllByName(host);
+  }
+
+  @GuardedBy("this")
+  private void resolve() {
+    if (resolving || shutdown) {
+      return;
+    }
+    executor.execute(resolutionRunnable);
   }
 
   @Override
-  public synchronized void shutdown() {
+  public final synchronized void shutdown() {
+    if (shutdown) {
+      return;
+    }
+    shutdown = true;
+    if (resolutionTask != null) {
+      resolutionTask.cancel(false);
+    }
+    if (timerService != null) {
+      timerService = SharedResourceHolder.release(timerServiceResource, timerService);
+    }
     if (executor != null) {
-      executor = SharedResourceHolder.release(GrpcUtil.SHARED_CHANNEL_EXECUTOR, executor);
+      executor = SharedResourceHolder.release(executorResource, executor);
     }
   }
 
-  int getPort() {
+  final int getPort() {
     return port;
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolverFactory.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolverFactory.java
index 39c2238fc7..6ee236d091 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolverFactory.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolverFactory.java
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ package io.grpc;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 
+import io.grpc.internal.GrpcUtil;
+
 import java.net.URI;
 
 /**
@@ -63,7 +65,8 @@ public final class DnsNameResolverFactory extends NameResolver.Factory {
       Preconditions.checkArgument(targetPath.startsWith("/"),
           "the path component (%s) of the target (%s) must start with '/'", targetPath, targetUri);
       String name = targetPath.substring(1);
-      return new DnsNameResolver(targetUri.getAuthority(), name, params);
+      return new DnsNameResolver(targetUri.getAuthority(), name, params, GrpcUtil.TIMER_SERVICE,
+          GrpcUtil.SHARED_CHANNEL_EXECUTOR);
     } else {
       return null;
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/GrpcUtil.java b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/GrpcUtil.java
index f604a87e4d..0ed5d4e111 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/GrpcUtil.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/grpc/internal/GrpcUtil.java
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ public final class GrpcUtil {
       };
 
   /**
-   * Shared executor for managing channel timers.
+   * Shared single-threaded executor for managing channel timers.
    */
   public static final Resource<ScheduledExecutorService> TIMER_SERVICE =
       new Resource<ScheduledExecutorService>() {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolverTest.java b/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolverTest.java
index e034a6d011..92fad2b145 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolverTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/DnsNameResolverTest.java
@@ -33,24 +33,82 @@ package io.grpc;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertSame;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verifyNoMoreInteractions;
 
+import io.grpc.internal.FakeClock;
+import io.grpc.internal.SharedResourceHolder.Resource;
+
+import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.junit.runners.JUnit4;
+import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
+import org.mockito.Captor;
+import org.mockito.Mock;
+import org.mockito.MockitoAnnotations;
 
+import java.net.InetAddress;
+import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.net.URI;
+import java.net.UnknownHostException;
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 /** Unit tests for {@link DnsNameResolver}. */
 @RunWith(JUnit4.class)
 public class DnsNameResolverTest {
-
-  private DnsNameResolverFactory factory = DnsNameResolverFactory.getInstance();
-
   private static final int DEFAULT_PORT = 887;
   private static final Attributes NAME_RESOLVER_PARAMS =
       Attributes.newBuilder().set(NameResolver.Factory.PARAMS_DEFAULT_PORT, DEFAULT_PORT).build();
 
+  private final DnsNameResolverFactory factory = DnsNameResolverFactory.getInstance();
+  private final FakeClock fakeClock = new FakeClock();
+  private final Resource<ScheduledExecutorService> fakeTimerService =
+      new Resource<ScheduledExecutorService>() {
+        @Override
+        public ScheduledExecutorService create() {
+          return fakeClock.scheduledExecutorService;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close(ScheduledExecutorService instance) {
+          assertSame(fakeClock, instance);
+        }
+      };
+
+  private final Resource<ExecutorService> fakeExecutor =
+      new Resource<ExecutorService>() {
+        @Override
+        public ExecutorService create() {
+          return fakeClock.scheduledExecutorService;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close(ExecutorService instance) {
+          assertSame(fakeClock, instance);
+        }
+      };
+
+  @Mock
+  private NameResolver.Listener mockListener;
+  @Captor
+  private ArgumentCaptor<List<ResolvedServerInfo>> resultCaptor;
+  @Captor
+  private ArgumentCaptor<Status> statusCaptor;
+
+  @Before
+  public void setUp() {
+    MockitoAnnotations.initMocks(this);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void invalidDnsName() throws Exception {
     testInvalidUri(new URI("dns", null, "/[invalid]", null));
@@ -73,6 +131,116 @@ public class DnsNameResolverTest {
         "foo.googleapis.com:456", 456);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void resolve() throws Exception {
+    InetAddress[] answer1 = createAddressList(2);
+    InetAddress[] answer2 = createAddressList(1);
+    String name = "foo.googleapis.com";
+    MockResolver resolver = new MockResolver(name, 81, answer1, answer2);
+    resolver.start(mockListener);
+    verify(mockListener).onUpdate(resultCaptor.capture(), any(Attributes.class));
+    assertEquals(name, resolver.invocations.poll());
+    assertAnswerMatches(answer1, 81, resultCaptor.getValue());
+    assertEquals(0, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+
+    resolver.refresh();
+    verify(mockListener, times(2)).onUpdate(resultCaptor.capture(), any(Attributes.class));
+    assertEquals(name, resolver.invocations.poll());
+    assertAnswerMatches(answer2, 81, resultCaptor.getValue());
+    assertEquals(0, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+
+    resolver.shutdown();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void retry() throws Exception {
+    String name = "foo.googleapis.com";
+    UnknownHostException error = new UnknownHostException(name);
+    InetAddress[] answer = createAddressList(2);
+    MockResolver resolver = new MockResolver(name, 81, error, error, answer);
+    resolver.start(mockListener);
+    verify(mockListener).onError(statusCaptor.capture());
+    assertEquals(name, resolver.invocations.poll());
+    Status status = statusCaptor.getValue();
+    assertEquals(Status.Code.UNAVAILABLE, status.getCode());
+    assertSame(error, status.getCause());
+
+    // First retry scheduled
+    assertEquals(1, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+    fakeClock.forwardMillis(TimeUnit.MINUTES.toMillis(1) - 1);
+    assertEquals(1, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+
+    // First retry
+    fakeClock.forwardMillis(1);
+    verify(mockListener, times(2)).onError(statusCaptor.capture());
+    assertEquals(name, resolver.invocations.poll());
+    status = statusCaptor.getValue();
+    assertEquals(Status.Code.UNAVAILABLE, status.getCode());
+    assertSame(error, status.getCause());
+
+    // Second retry scheduled
+    assertEquals(1, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+    fakeClock.forwardMillis(TimeUnit.MINUTES.toMillis(1) - 1);
+    assertEquals(1, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+
+    // Second retry
+    fakeClock.forwardMillis(1);
+    assertEquals(0, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+    verify(mockListener).onUpdate(resultCaptor.capture(), any(Attributes.class));
+    assertEquals(name, resolver.invocations.poll());
+    assertAnswerMatches(answer, 81, resultCaptor.getValue());
+
+    verifyNoMoreInteractions(mockListener);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void refreshCancelsScheduledRetry() throws Exception {
+    String name = "foo.googleapis.com";
+    UnknownHostException error = new UnknownHostException(name);
+    InetAddress[] answer = createAddressList(2);
+    MockResolver resolver = new MockResolver(name, 81, error, answer);
+    resolver.start(mockListener);
+    verify(mockListener).onError(statusCaptor.capture());
+    assertEquals(name, resolver.invocations.poll());
+    Status status = statusCaptor.getValue();
+    assertEquals(Status.Code.UNAVAILABLE, status.getCode());
+    assertSame(error, status.getCause());
+
+    // First retry scheduled
+    assertEquals(1, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+
+    resolver.refresh();
+    // Refresh cancelled the retry
+    assertEquals(0, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+    verify(mockListener).onUpdate(resultCaptor.capture(), any(Attributes.class));
+    assertEquals(name, resolver.invocations.poll());
+    assertAnswerMatches(answer, 81, resultCaptor.getValue());
+
+    verifyNoMoreInteractions(mockListener);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shutdownCancelsScheduledRetry() throws Exception {
+    String name = "foo.googleapis.com";
+    UnknownHostException error = new UnknownHostException(name);
+    MockResolver resolver = new MockResolver(name, 81, error);
+    resolver.start(mockListener);
+    verify(mockListener).onError(statusCaptor.capture());
+    assertEquals(name, resolver.invocations.poll());
+    Status status = statusCaptor.getValue();
+    assertEquals(Status.Code.UNAVAILABLE, status.getCode());
+    assertSame(error, status.getCause());
+
+    // Retry scheduled
+    assertEquals(1, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+
+    // Shutdown cancelled the retry
+    resolver.shutdown();
+    assertEquals(0, fakeClock.numPendingTasks());
+
+    verifyNoMoreInteractions(mockListener);
+  }
+
   private void testInvalidUri(URI uri) {
     try {
       factory.newNameResolver(uri, NAME_RESOLVER_PARAMS);
@@ -88,4 +256,48 @@ public class DnsNameResolverTest {
     assertEquals(expectedPort, resolver.getPort());
     assertEquals(exportedAuthority, resolver.getServiceAuthority());
   }
+
+  private byte lastByte = 0;
+
+  private InetAddress[] createAddressList(int n) throws UnknownHostException {
+    InetAddress[] list = new InetAddress[n];
+    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+      list[i] = InetAddress.getByAddress(new byte[] {127, 0, 0, ++lastByte});
+    }
+    return list;
+  }
+
+  private static void assertAnswerMatches(InetAddress[] addrs, int port,
+      List<ResolvedServerInfo> result) {
+    assertEquals(addrs.length, result.size());
+    for (int i = 0; i < addrs.length; i++) {
+      InetSocketAddress socketAddr = (InetSocketAddress) result.get(i).getAddress();
+      assertEquals("Addr " + i, port, socketAddr.getPort());
+      assertEquals("Addr " + i, addrs[i], socketAddr.getAddress());
+    }
+  }
+
+  private class MockResolver extends DnsNameResolver {
+    final LinkedList<Object> answers = new LinkedList<Object>();
+    final LinkedList<String> invocations = new LinkedList<String>();
+
+    MockResolver(String name, int defaultPort, Object ... answers) {
+      super(null, name, Attributes.newBuilder().set(
+          NameResolver.Factory.PARAMS_DEFAULT_PORT, defaultPort).build(), fakeTimerService,
+          fakeExecutor);
+      for (Object answer : answers) {
+        this.answers.add(answer);
+      }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    InetAddress[] getAllByName(String host) throws UnknownHostException {
+      invocations.add(host);
+      Object answer = answers.poll();
+      if (answer instanceof UnknownHostException) {
+        throw (UnknownHostException) answer;
+      }
+      return (InetAddress[]) answer;
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/FakeClock.java b/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/FakeClock.java
index 9f5f8cc40c..d0db8f29e6 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/FakeClock.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/io/grpc/internal/FakeClock.java
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 /**
  * A manipulated clock that exports a {@link Ticker} and a {@link ScheduledExecutorService}.
  */
-final class FakeClock {
+public final class FakeClock {
 
-  final ScheduledExecutorService scheduledExecutorService = new ScheduledExecutorImpl();
+  public final ScheduledExecutorService scheduledExecutorService = new ScheduledExecutorImpl();
   final Ticker ticker = new Ticker() {
       @Override public long read() {
         return TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS.toNanos(currentTimeNanos);
@@ -183,12 +183,16 @@ final class FakeClock {
     }
   }
 
-  void forwardTime(long value, TimeUnit unit) {
+  public void forwardTime(long value, TimeUnit unit) {
     currentTimeNanos += unit.toNanos(value);
     runDueTasks();
   }
 
-  void forwardMillis(long millis) {
+  public void forwardMillis(long millis) {
     forwardTime(millis, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
   }
+
+  public int numPendingTasks() {
+    return tasks.size();
+  }
 }