diff --git a/packages/grpc-js/src/channel.ts b/packages/grpc-js/src/channel.ts
index fd015aff..6f614233 100644
--- a/packages/grpc-js/src/channel.ts
+++ b/packages/grpc-js/src/channel.ts
@@ -235,8 +235,8 @@ export class ChannelImplementation implements Channel {
       updateState: (connectivityState: ConnectivityState, picker: Picker) => {
         this.currentPicker = picker;
         const queueCopy = this.pickQueue.slice();
-        this.callRefTimer.unref?.();
         this.pickQueue = [];
+        this.callRefTimerUnref();
         for (const { callStream, callMetadata, callConfig } of queueCopy) {
           this.tryPick(callStream, callMetadata, callConfig);
         }
@@ -258,11 +258,30 @@ export class ChannelImplementation implements Channel {
         /* We process the queue asynchronously to ensure that the corresponding
          * load balancer update has completed. */
         process.nextTick(() => {
-          for (const {callStream, callMetadata} of this.configSelectionQueue) {
+          const localQueue = this.configSelectionQueue;
+          this.configSelectionQueue = [];
+          this.callRefTimerUnref()
+          for (const {callStream, callMetadata} of localQueue) {
             this.tryGetConfig(callStream, callMetadata);
           }
           this.configSelectionQueue = [];
         });
+      },
+      (status) => {
+        if (this.configSelectionQueue.length > 0) {
+          trace(LogVerbosity.DEBUG, 'channel', 'Name resolution failed for target ' + uriToString(this.target) + ' with calls queued for config selection');
+        }
+        const localQueue = this.configSelectionQueue;
+        this.configSelectionQueue = [];
+        this.callRefTimerUnref();
+        for (const {callStream, callMetadata} of localQueue) {
+          if (callMetadata.getOptions().waitForReady) {
+            this.callRefTimerRef();
+            this.configSelectionQueue.push({callStream, callMetadata});
+          } else {
+            callStream.cancelWithStatus(status.code, status.details);
+          }
+        }
       }
     );
     this.filterStackFactory = new FilterStackFactory([
@@ -273,9 +292,23 @@ export class ChannelImplementation implements Channel {
     ]);
   }
 
+  private callRefTimerRef() {
+    if (!this.callRefTimer.hasRef()) {
+      trace(LogVerbosity.DEBUG, 'channel', 'callRefTimer.ref | configSelectionQueue.length=' + this.configSelectionQueue.length + ' pickQueue.length=' + this.pickQueue.length);
+      this.callRefTimer.ref?.();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private callRefTimerUnref() {
+    if (this.callRefTimer.hasRef()) {
+      trace(LogVerbosity.DEBUG, 'channel', 'callRefTimer.unref | configSelectionQueue.length=' + this.configSelectionQueue.length + ' pickQueue.length=' + this.pickQueue.length);
+      this.callRefTimer.unref?.();
+    }
+  }
+
   private pushPick(callStream: Http2CallStream, callMetadata: Metadata, callConfig: CallConfig) {
-    this.callRefTimer.ref?.();
     this.pickQueue.push({ callStream, callMetadata, callConfig });
+    this.callRefTimerRef();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -480,11 +513,11 @@ export class ChannelImplementation implements Channel {
        * ResolvingLoadBalancer may be idle and if so it needs to be kicked
        * because it now has a pending request. */
       this.resolvingLoadBalancer.exitIdle();
-      this.callRefTimer.ref?.();
       this.configSelectionQueue.push({ 
         callStream: stream,
         callMetadata: metadata
       });
+      this.callRefTimerRef();
     } else {
       const callConfig = this.configSelector(stream.getMethod(), metadata);
       if (callConfig.status === Status.OK) {
diff --git a/packages/grpc-js/src/resolving-load-balancer.ts b/packages/grpc-js/src/resolving-load-balancer.ts
index 7cf7e36d..84fe4ae1 100644
--- a/packages/grpc-js/src/resolving-load-balancer.ts
+++ b/packages/grpc-js/src/resolving-load-balancer.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ export interface ResolutionCallback {
   (configSelector: ConfigSelector): void;
 }
 
+export interface ResolutionFailureCallback {
+  (status: StatusObject): void;
+}
+
 export class ResolvingLoadBalancer implements LoadBalancer {
   /**
    * The resolver class constructed for the target address.
@@ -124,7 +128,8 @@ export class ResolvingLoadBalancer implements LoadBalancer {
     private readonly target: GrpcUri,
     private readonly channelControlHelper: ChannelControlHelper,
     private readonly channelOptions: ChannelOptions,
-    private readonly onSuccessfulResolution: ResolutionCallback
+    private readonly onSuccessfulResolution: ResolutionCallback,
+    private readonly onFailedResolution: ResolutionFailureCallback
   ) {
     if (channelOptions['grpc.service_config']) {
       this.defaultServiceConfig = validateServiceConfig(
@@ -261,6 +266,7 @@ export class ResolvingLoadBalancer implements LoadBalancer {
         ConnectivityState.TRANSIENT_FAILURE,
         new UnavailablePicker(error)
       );
+      this.onFailedResolution(error);
     }
     this.backoffTimeout.runOnce();
   }