diff --git a/core/dnsserver/server_quic.go b/core/dnsserver/server_quic.go
index 531cbd82d..b7d7fd7ff 100644
--- a/core/dnsserver/server_quic.go
+++ b/core/dnsserver/server_quic.go
@@ -103,6 +103,14 @@ func NewServerQUIC(addr string, group []*Config) (*ServerQUIC, error) {
 // ServePacket implements caddy.UDPServer interface.
 func (s *ServerQUIC) ServePacket(p net.PacketConn) error {
 	s.m.Lock()
+	if s.quicListener == nil {
+		listener, err := quic.Listen(p, s.tlsConfig, s.quicConfig)
+		if err != nil {
+			s.m.Unlock()
+			return err
+		}
+		s.quicListener = listener
+	}
 	s.listenAddr = s.quicListener.Addr()
 	s.m.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/test/quic_test.go b/test/quic_test.go
index e8d673d74..1027c31d9 100644
--- a/test/quic_test.go
+++ b/test/quic_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ var quicCorefile = `quic://.:0 {
 		whoami
 	}`
 
+var quicReloadCorefile = `quic://.:0 {
+		tls ../plugin/tls/test_cert.pem ../plugin/tls/test_key.pem ../plugin/tls/test_ca.pem
+		whoami
+		reload 2s
+	}`
+
 // Corefile with custom stream limits
 var quicLimitCorefile = `quic://.:0 {
 		tls ../plugin/tls/test_cert.pem ../plugin/tls/test_key.pem ../plugin/tls/test_ca.pem
@@ -89,6 +95,29 @@ func TestQUIC(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestQUICReloadDoesNotPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	inst, udp, _, err := CoreDNSServerAndPorts(quicCorefile)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Could not get CoreDNS serving instance: %s", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { inst.Stop() })
+
+	assertQUICQuerySucceeds(t, udp)
+
+	restart, err := inst.Restart(NewInput(quicReloadCorefile))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to restart CoreDNS: %s", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { restart.Stop() })
+
+	udpReload, _ := CoreDNSServerPorts(restart, 0)
+	if udpReload == "" {
+		t.Fatal("Failed to determine QUIC listener address after reload")
+	}
+
+	assertQUICQuerySucceeds(t, udpReload)
+}
+
 func TestQUICProtocolError(t *testing.T) {
 	q, udp, _, err := CoreDNSServerAndPorts(quicCorefile)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -352,3 +381,50 @@ func createInvalidDOQMsg() []byte {
 	msg, _ := m.Pack()
 	return msg
 }
+
+func assertQUICQuerySucceeds(t *testing.T, address string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	conn, err := quic.DialAddr(ctx, convertAddress(address), generateTLSConfig(), nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected no error but got: %s", err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = conn.CloseWithError(0, "") }()
+
+	stream, err := conn.OpenStreamSync(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected no error but got: %s", err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = stream.Close() }()
+
+	msg := createTestMsg()
+	if _, err = stream.Write(msg); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected no error but got: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	sizeBuf := make([]byte, 2)
+	if _, err = io.ReadFull(stream, sizeBuf); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected no error but got: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	size := binary.BigEndian.Uint16(sizeBuf)
+	buf := make([]byte, size)
+	if _, err = io.ReadFull(stream, buf); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected no error but got: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	resp := new(dns.Msg)
+	if err = resp.Unpack(buf); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected no error but got: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	if resp.Rcode != dns.RcodeSuccess {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected success but got %d", resp.Rcode)
+	}
+
+	if len(resp.Extra) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected 2 RRs in additional section, but got %d", len(resp.Extra))
+	}
+}