diff --git a/nameserver/entry.go b/nameserver/entry.go
index d1c8f830..6d6ba08c 100644
--- a/nameserver/entry.go
+++ b/nameserver/entry.go
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ func (es *Entries) merge(incoming Entries) Entries {
 	return newEntries
 }
 
+// f returning true means keep the entry.
 func (es *Entries) tombstone(ourname router.PeerName, f func(*Entry) bool) Entries {
 	es.checkAndPanic()
 	defer es.checkAndPanic()
diff --git a/nameserver/nameserver.go b/nameserver/nameserver.go
index be4c4987..b56b1dfd 100644
--- a/nameserver/nameserver.go
+++ b/nameserver/nameserver.go
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ func (n *Nameserver) deleteTombstones() {
 	defer n.Unlock()
 	now := time.Now().Unix()
 	n.entries.filter(func(e *Entry) bool {
-		return now-e.Tombstone <= int64(tombstoneTimeout/time.Second)
+		return e.Tombstone == 0 || now-e.Tombstone <= int64(tombstoneTimeout/time.Second)
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/nameserver/nameserver_test.go b/nameserver/nameserver_test.go
index f0a71ba0..d8884959 100644
--- a/nameserver/nameserver_test.go
+++ b/nameserver/nameserver_test.go
@@ -230,6 +230,9 @@ func TestTombstoneDeletion(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, []address.Address{0}, nameserver.Lookup("hostname"))
 
+	nameserver.deleteTombstones()
+	require.Equal(t, []address.Address{0}, nameserver.Lookup("hostname"))
+
 	err = nameserver.Delete("hostname", "containerid", "", address.Address(0))
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, []address.Address{}, nameserver.Lookup("hostname"))