diff --git a/internal/controller/constants.go b/internal/controller/constants.go
index 6aab3931..422b85e4 100644
--- a/internal/controller/constants.go
+++ b/internal/controller/constants.go
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ const (
 	conditionTypeProgrammed = "Programmed"
 )
 
+// dnsZoneReasonPendingDomainVerification is the Accepted=False reason the DNS
+// operator sets on a DNSZone it holds back until its Domain is verified.
+const dnsZoneReasonPendingDomainVerification = "PendingDomainVerification"
+
 // cert-manager condition status values used when parsing unstructured Certificate objects.
 const (
 	certManagerConditionStatusTrue = "True"
diff --git a/internal/controller/domain_controller.go b/internal/controller/domain_controller.go
index 541a42d3..d9f318ce 100644
--- a/internal/controller/domain_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/domain_controller.go
@@ -389,12 +389,17 @@ func (r *DomainReconciler) attemptDNSZoneVerification(
 	// Evaluate zones; any one matching is sufficient
 	sawNotReady := false
 	sawReady := false
+	sawPendingSubdomain := false
 	for _, z := range zones {
 		zoneName := z.GetName()
 
-		// Must be Accepted=True and Programmed=True
+		// Must be Accepted=True and Programmed=True, or held back by the DNS
+		// operator until this Domain is verified. The DNS operator won't serve
+		// a zone for an unverified domain, so a zone waiting on verification
+		// never becomes Programmed; requiring that would deadlock.
 		accepted := false
 		programmed := false
+		pendingVerification := false
 		if conds, found, _ := unstructured.NestedSlice(z.Object, jsonKeyStatus, "conditions"); found {
 			for _, c := range conds {
 				cm, ok := c.(map[string]any)
@@ -406,12 +411,24 @@ func (r *DomainReconciler) attemptDNSZoneVerification(
 				if ct == conditionTypeAccepted && cs == certManagerConditionStatusTrue {
 					accepted = true
 				}
+				if ct == conditionTypeAccepted && cs != certManagerConditionStatusTrue {
+					reason, _ := cm["reason"].(string)
+					pendingVerification = reason == dnsZoneReasonPendingDomainVerification
+				}
 				if ct == conditionTypeProgrammed && cs == certManagerConditionStatusTrue {
 					programmed = true
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		if !accepted || !programmed {
+		// A waiting zone only counts at the apex. Every zone shares the same
+		// nameservers, and a subdomain with no delegation of its own reports its
+		// parent's nameservers. Without this check, anyone could verify
+		// sub.example.com once example.com was delegated to Datum.
+		if pendingVerification && !domainStatus.Apex {
+			sawPendingSubdomain = true
+			continue
+		}
+		if !pendingVerification && (!accepted || !programmed) {
 			sawNotReady = true
 			// Keep evaluating other zones in case one is ready.
 			continue
@@ -448,6 +465,11 @@ func (r *DomainReconciler) attemptDNSZoneVerification(
 		verifiedDNSZoneCondition.Reason = networkingv1alpha.DomainReasonDNSZoneNotReady
 		verifiedDNSZoneCondition.Message = "DNSZone exists but is not yet Accepted and Programmed"
 	}
+	if sawPendingSubdomain && !sawReady {
+		verifiedDNSZoneCondition.Reason = networkingv1alpha.DomainReasonDNSZoneNotReady
+		verifiedDNSZoneCondition.Message = "Nameserver delegation verifies only a registered domain; " +
+			"verify this subdomain with the TXT record or HTTP token, or verify its parent domain"
+	}
 }
 
 func (r *DomainReconciler) attemptDNSVerification(
diff --git a/internal/controller/domain_controller_test.go b/internal/controller/domain_controller_test.go
index 4e745ad0..25572928 100644
--- a/internal/controller/domain_controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/domain_controller_test.go
@@ -355,6 +355,61 @@ func TestDomainVerification(t *testing.T) {
 				assert.True(t, apimeta.IsStatusConditionTrue(domain.Status.Conditions, networkingv1alpha.DomainConditionVerifiedDNSZone), "expected VerifiedDNSZone=True to be present")
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name:           "dnszone waiting on verification verifies apex domain",
+			reconcileCount: 2,
+			domain: newDomain(upstreamNamespace.Name, "dnszone-pending", func(domain *networkingv1alpha.Domain) {
+				domain.Status.Verification = &networkingv1alpha.DomainVerificationStatus{
+					NextVerificationAttempt: metav1.Time{Time: time.Unix(0, 0)},
+				}
+			}),
+			objects: []client.Object{pendingDNSZone(upstreamNamespace.Name, "zone-pending", "dnszone-pending")},
+			registryLookupDomain: func(ctx context.Context, domain string, opts registrydata.LookupOptions) (*registrydata.DomainResult, error) {
+				return &registrydata.DomainResult{
+					Registration: &networkingv1alpha.Registration{},
+					Nameservers:  []networkingv1alpha.Nameserver{{Hostname: "ns1.provider.net."}},
+				}, nil
+			},
+			assert: func(t *testing.T, domain *networkingv1alpha.Domain, _ ctrl.Result) {
+				assert.True(t, domain.Status.Apex)
+				assert.True(t, apimeta.IsStatusConditionTrue(domain.Status.Conditions, networkingv1alpha.DomainConditionVerified))
+				assert.True(t, apimeta.IsStatusConditionTrue(domain.Status.Conditions, networkingv1alpha.DomainConditionVerifiedDNSZone))
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "dnszone waiting on verification does not verify subdomain",
+			reconcileCount: 2,
+			domain: newDomain(upstreamNamespace.Name, "dnszone-pending-sub", func(domain *networkingv1alpha.Domain) {
+				domain.Spec.DomainName = "app.example.com"
+				domain.Status.Verification = &networkingv1alpha.DomainVerificationStatus{
+					NextVerificationAttempt: metav1.Time{Time: time.Unix(0, 0)},
+				}
+			}),
+			lookupTXT: func(ctx context.Context, name string) ([]string, error) {
+				return nil, &net.DNSError{IsNotFound: true}
+			},
+			httpGet: func(ctx context.Context, url string) ([]byte, *http.Response, error) {
+				return nil, &http.Response{StatusCode: http.StatusNotFound}, nil
+			},
+			objects: []client.Object{pendingDNSZone(upstreamNamespace.Name, "zone-pending-sub", "dnszone-pending-sub")},
+			// The subdomain has no delegation of its own, so the lookup reports
+			// the parent's nameservers, which match the shared zone nameservers.
+			registryLookupDomain: func(ctx context.Context, domain string, opts registrydata.LookupOptions) (*registrydata.DomainResult, error) {
+				return &registrydata.DomainResult{
+					Registration: &networkingv1alpha.Registration{},
+					Nameservers:  []networkingv1alpha.Nameserver{{Hostname: "ns1.provider.net."}},
+				}, nil
+			},
+			assert: func(t *testing.T, domain *networkingv1alpha.Domain, _ ctrl.Result) {
+				assert.False(t, domain.Status.Apex)
+				assert.False(t, apimeta.IsStatusConditionTrue(domain.Status.Conditions, networkingv1alpha.DomainConditionVerified))
+				cond := apimeta.FindStatusCondition(domain.Status.Conditions, networkingv1alpha.DomainConditionVerifiedDNSZone)
+				if assert.NotNil(t, cond) {
+					assert.Equal(t, metav1.ConditionFalse, cond.Status)
+					assert.Equal(t, networkingv1alpha.DomainReasonDNSZoneNotReady, cond.Reason)
+				}
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "http token not found",
 			lookupTXT: func(ctx context.Context, name string) ([]string, error) {
@@ -584,6 +639,29 @@ func TestValidDomainGate_InvalidApex_SetsConditionAndSkipsFlows(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// pendingDNSZone returns a DNSZone the DNS operator is holding back until the
+// named Domain is verified: Accepted=False with the waiting reason, never
+// Programmed, and nameservers published from its class.
+func pendingDNSZone(namespace, name, domainName string) *unstructured.Unstructured {
+	return &unstructured.Unstructured{
+		Object: map[string]any{
+			"apiVersion": "dns.networking.miloapis.com/v1alpha1",
+			"kind":       "DNSZone",
+			"metadata": map[string]any{
+				"name":      name,
+				"namespace": namespace,
+			},
+			"status": map[string]any{
+				"nameservers": []any{"ns1.provider.net.", "ns2.provider.net."},
+				"conditions": []any{
+					map[string]any{"type": "Accepted", "status": "False", "reason": dnsZoneReasonPendingDomainVerification},
+				},
+				"domainRef": map[string]any{"name": domainName},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+}
+
 func newDomain(namespace, name string, opts ...func(*networkingv1alpha.Domain)) *networkingv1alpha.Domain {
 	domain := &networkingv1alpha.Domain{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{