diff --git a/cmd/start_test.go b/cmd/start_test.go
index 1fad96f..809eed7 100644
--- a/cmd/start_test.go
+++ b/cmd/start_test.go
@@ -426,6 +426,28 @@ func TestGateExistingConnections_UnresolvableAllowsObservedPortsOnly(t *testing.
 	gateExistingConnections(existingConns{"203.0.113.5": observed}, cm, fw, nil, nil, quietLogger())
 }
 
+// The unresolvable carve-out must survive a `*` / `**` hostname rule in the
+// policy. "" is not a hostname, so the wildcard must not fire on an IP with
+// no reverse name: the IP is allowed on its observed ports (443 here), not
+// the rule's (123), and nothing is scoped at L7 under an empty name (#125).
+func TestGateExistingConnections_UnresolvableIgnoresWildcardRule(t *testing.T) {
+	cm := config.NewConfigManager()
+	require.NoError(t, cm.LoadConfigFromRules([]config.Rule{
+		{Type: config.RuleTypeHostname, Value: "**", Ports: []config.Port{{Port: 123, Protocol: config.ProtocolUDP}}, Action: config.ActionAllow},
+	}, config.ActionDeny))
+
+	observed := []config.Port{{Port: 443, Protocol: config.ProtocolTCP}}
+	fw := firewall.NewMockFirewall(t)
+	fw.EXPECT().AddIP(net.ParseIP("20.96.133.71"), config.ActionAllow, observed).Return(true, nil).Once()
+
+	rec := &cmdRecordingRegistrar{}
+	reg := l7LateRegistrar{l7: rec, cm: cm, logger: quietLogger()}
+
+	gateExistingConnections(existingConns{"20.96.133.71": observed}, cm, fw, reg, nil, quietLogger())
+
+	assert.Empty(t, rec.scopes, "scoped an IP under an empty hostname")
+}
+
 // Denied pre-existing connections must not be added to the allowlist —
 // NewMockFirewall(t) fails the test on any unexpected AddIP call.
 func TestGateExistingConnections_DeniedHostnameNotAdded(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/config/config_test.go b/pkg/config/config_test.go
index fb639bb..f1bef8b 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -3322,6 +3322,16 @@ func TestMatchHostnameRule_Table(t *testing.T) {
 			query:         "evil.example.com",
 			skipPortCheck: true,
 		},
+		{
+			// "" is what an IP with no reverse name looks up as; a wildcard
+			// must not fire on it (#125).
+			name: "empty hostname matches nothing, even a bare wildcard",
+			rules: []Rule{
+				{Type: RuleTypeHostname, Value: "**", Ports: []Port{{Port: 123, Protocol: ProtocolUDP}}, Action: ActionAllow},
+			},
+			query:         "",
+			skipPortCheck: true,
+		},
 
 		// ----- Deny precedence -----
 		{
diff --git a/pkg/config/pattern.go b/pkg/config/pattern.go
index fe8e779..573c24e 100644
--- a/pkg/config/pattern.go
+++ b/pkg/config/pattern.go
@@ -46,8 +46,19 @@ func compileHostnamePattern(raw string) (hostnamePattern, error) {
 }
 
 // Matches returns true if hostname matches the glob pattern.
+//
+// A hostname with an empty label never matches: "" is not a DNS label, so
+// no segment, literal or wildcard, may consume one. That covers the empty
+// hostname itself, which splits to a single empty label. Rejected here, at
+// the boundary, the same way compileHostnamePattern rejects empty segments,
+// so matchSegments only ever sees well-formed labels.
 func (p *hostnamePattern) Matches(hostname string) bool {
 	labels := strings.Split(hostname, ".")
+	for _, label := range labels {
+		if label == "" {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
 	return matchSegments(p.Segments, labels)
 }
 
@@ -68,21 +79,23 @@ func matchSegments(segments []string, labels []string) bool {
 
 	for si := segCount - 1; si >= 0; si-- {
 		seg := segments[si]
-		for li := labelCount; li >= 0; li-- {
+		// dp[si][labelCount] stays false: every segment consumes at least
+		// one label.
+		for li := labelCount - 1; li >= 0; li-- {
 			switch seg {
 			case "**":
 				// ** matches one or more labels
-				if li < labelCount && (dp[si][li+1] || dp[si+1][li+1]) {
+				if dp[si][li+1] || dp[si+1][li+1] {
 					dp[si][li] = true
 				}
 			case "*":
 				// * matches exactly one label
-				if li < labelCount && dp[si+1][li+1] {
+				if dp[si+1][li+1] {
 					dp[si][li] = true
 				}
 			default:
 				// Literal match
-				if li < labelCount && labels[li] == seg && dp[si+1][li+1] {
+				if labels[li] == seg && dp[si+1][li+1] {
 					dp[si][li] = true
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/config/pattern_test.go b/pkg/config/pattern_test.go
index ad863cf..e63bc62 100644
--- a/pkg/config/pattern_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/pattern_test.go
@@ -183,6 +183,57 @@ func TestHostnamePatternMatches(t *testing.T) {
 			"other.foo.internal.cloudapp.net",
 			false,
 		},
+		// Empty hostname / empty labels. "" splits to one empty label, which
+		// no segment may consume: an IP with no reverse name must not take a
+		// wildcard rule's verdict (#125).
+		{
+			"doublestar rejects empty hostname",
+			"**",
+			"",
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"star rejects empty hostname",
+			"*",
+			"",
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"doublestar suffix rejects empty hostname",
+			"**.github.com",
+			"",
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"star suffix rejects empty hostname",
+			"*.github.com",
+			"",
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"literal rejects empty hostname",
+			"github.com",
+			"",
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"doublestar rejects empty label",
+			"**",
+			"a..b",
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"doublestar rejects trailing empty label",
+			"**",
+			"github.com.",
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			"star rejects empty label",
+			"*.github.com",
+			".github.com",
+			false,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {