diff --git a/internal/enginenetx/network.go b/internal/enginenetx/network.go
index b4bb2b3092..bd7a99ab49 100644
--- a/internal/enginenetx/network.go
+++ b/internal/enginenetx/network.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func NewNetwork(
 	httpsDialer := newHTTPSDialer(
 		logger,
 		&netxlite.Netx{Underlying: nil}, // nil means using netxlite's singleton
-		newHTTPSDialerPolicy(kvStore, logger, resolver),
+		newHTTPSDialerPolicy(kvStore, logger, resolver, stats),
 		stats,
 	)
 
@@ -139,10 +139,16 @@ func NewNetwork(
 }
 
 // newHTTPSDialerPolicy contains the logic to select the [HTTPSDialerPolicy] to use.
-func newHTTPSDialerPolicy(kvStore model.KeyValueStore, logger model.Logger, resolver model.Resolver) httpsDialerPolicy {
+func newHTTPSDialerPolicy(
+	kvStore model.KeyValueStore,
+	logger model.Logger,
+	resolver model.Resolver,
+	stats *statsManager,
+) httpsDialerPolicy {
 	// create a composed fallback TLS dialer policy
-	fallback := &beaconsPolicy{
-		Fallback: &dnsPolicy{logger, resolver},
+	fallback := &statsPolicy{
+		Fallback: &beaconsPolicy{Fallback: &dnsPolicy{logger, resolver}},
+		Stats:    stats,
 	}
 
 	// make sure we honor a user-provided policy
diff --git a/internal/enginenetx/statsmanager.go b/internal/enginenetx/statsmanager.go
index f05539fd7b..fba166cbb4 100644
--- a/internal/enginenetx/statsmanager.go
+++ b/internal/enginenetx/statsmanager.go
@@ -403,17 +403,22 @@ func (mt *statsManager) Close() error {
 
 // LookupTacticsStats returns stats about tactics for a given domain and port. The returned
 // list is a clone of the one stored by [*statsManager] so, it can easily be modified.
-func (mt *statsManager) LookupTactics(domain string, port string) []*statsTactic {
+func (mt *statsManager) LookupTactics(domain string, port string) ([]*statsTactic, bool) {
 	out := []*statsTactic{}
 
 	// get exclusive access
 	defer mt.mu.Unlock()
 	mt.mu.Lock()
 
+	// check whether we have information on this endpoint
+	domainEpnts, good := mt.container.DomainEndpoints[net.JoinHostPort(domain, port)]
+	if !good {
+		return out, len(out) > 0
+	}
+
 	// return a copy of each entry
-	domainEpnts := mt.container.DomainEndpoints[net.JoinHostPort(domain, port)]
 	for _, entry := range domainEpnts.Tactics {
 		out = append(out, entry.Clone())
 	}
-	return out
+	return out, len(out) > 0
 }
diff --git a/internal/enginenetx/statsmanager_test.go b/internal/enginenetx/statsmanager_test.go
index e3c017f844..9c8d50e4ee 100644
--- a/internal/enginenetx/statsmanager_test.go
+++ b/internal/enginenetx/statsmanager_test.go
@@ -848,24 +848,40 @@ func TestStatsManagerLookupTacticsStats(t *testing.T) {
 	// create the stats manager
 	stats := newStatsManager(kvStore, log.Log)
 
-	// obtain tactics
-	tactics := stats.LookupTactics("api.ooni.io", "443")
-	if len(tactics) != 3 {
-		t.Fatal("unexpected tactics length")
-	}
+	t.Run("when we're searching for a domain endpoint we know about", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// obtain tactics
+		tactics, good := stats.LookupTactics("api.ooni.io", "443")
+		if !good {
+			t.Fatal("expected good")
+		}
+		if len(tactics) != 3 {
+			t.Fatal("unexpected tactics length")
+		}
+
+		// sort obtained tactics lexicographically
+		sort.SliceStable(tactics, func(i, j int) bool {
+			return tactics[i].Tactic.tacticSummaryKey() < tactics[j].Tactic.tacticSummaryKey()
+		})
 
-	// sort obtained tactics lexicographically
-	sort.SliceStable(tactics, func(i, j int) bool {
-		return tactics[i].Tactic.tacticSummaryKey() < tactics[j].Tactic.tacticSummaryKey()
-	})
+		// sort the initial tactics as well
+		sort.SliceStable(expectTactics, func(i, j int) bool {
+			return expectTactics[i].Tactic.tacticSummaryKey() < expectTactics[j].Tactic.tacticSummaryKey()
+		})
 
-	// sort the initial tactics as well
-	sort.SliceStable(expectTactics, func(i, j int) bool {
-		return expectTactics[i].Tactic.tacticSummaryKey() < expectTactics[j].Tactic.tacticSummaryKey()
+		// compare once we have sorted
+		if diff := cmp.Diff(expectTactics, tactics); diff != "" {
+			t.Fatal(diff)
+		}
 	})
 
-	// compare once we have sorted
-	if diff := cmp.Diff(expectTactics, tactics); diff != "" {
-		t.Fatal(diff)
-	}
+	t.Run("when we don't have information about a domain endpoint", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// obtain tactics
+		tactics, good := stats.LookupTactics("api.ooni.io", "444") // note: different port!
+		if good {
+			t.Fatal("expected !good")
+		}
+		if len(tactics) != 0 {
+			t.Fatal("unexpected tactics length")
+		}
+	})
 }
diff --git a/internal/enginenetx/statspolicy.go b/internal/enginenetx/statspolicy.go
index c57f74c29e..ff0e43cb7a 100644
--- a/internal/enginenetx/statspolicy.go
+++ b/internal/enginenetx/statspolicy.go
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@ func (p *statsPolicy) LookupTactics(ctx context.Context, domain string, port str
 }
 
 func (p *statsPolicy) statsLookupTactics(domain string, port string) (out []*httpsDialerTactic) {
-	tactics := p.Stats.LookupTactics(domain, port)
+	tactics, good := p.Stats.LookupTactics(domain, port)
+	if !good {
+		return
+	}
 
 	successRate := func(t *statsTactic) (rate float64) {
 		if t.CountStarted > 0 {