diff --git a/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsNameResolver.java b/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsNameResolver.java
index a750289f8ef..5019d8eea93 100644
--- a/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsNameResolver.java
+++ b/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsNameResolver.java
@@ -669,14 +669,22 @@ private static String prefixedClusterSpecifierPluginName(String pluginName) {
     return "cluster_specifier_plugin:" + pluginName;
   }
 
+  private static final class FailingConfigSelector extends InternalConfigSelector {
+    private final Result result;
+
+    public FailingConfigSelector(Status error) {
+      this.result = Result.forError(error);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Result selectConfig(PickSubchannelArgs args) {
+      return result;
+    }
+  }
+
   private class ResolveState implements LdsResourceWatcher {
     private final ConfigOrError emptyServiceConfig =
         serviceConfigParser.parseServiceConfig(Collections.<String, Object>emptyMap());
-    private final ResolutionResult emptyResult =
-        ResolutionResult.newBuilder()
-            .setServiceConfig(emptyServiceConfig)
-            // let channel take action for no config selector
-            .build();
     private final String ldsResourceName;
     private boolean stopped;
     @Nullable
@@ -738,9 +746,10 @@ public void run() {
           if (stopped) {
             return;
           }
-          logger.log(XdsLogLevel.INFO, "LDS resource {0} unavailable", resourceName);
+          String error = "LDS resource does not exist: " + resourceName;
+          logger.log(XdsLogLevel.INFO, error);
           cleanUpRouteDiscoveryState();
-          cleanUpRoutes();
+          cleanUpRoutes(error);
         }
       });
     }
@@ -762,9 +771,9 @@ private void updateRoutes(List<VirtualHost> virtualHosts, long httpMaxStreamDura
         @Nullable List<NamedFilterConfig> filterConfigs) {
       VirtualHost virtualHost = findVirtualHostForHostName(virtualHosts, ldsResourceName);
       if (virtualHost == null) {
-        logger.log(XdsLogLevel.WARNING,
-            "Failed to find virtual host matching hostname {0}", ldsResourceName);
-        cleanUpRoutes();
+        String error = "Failed to find virtual host matching hostname: " + ldsResourceName;
+        logger.log(XdsLogLevel.WARNING, error);
+        cleanUpRoutes(error);
         return;
       }
 
@@ -860,7 +869,7 @@ private void updateRoutes(List<VirtualHost> virtualHosts, long httpMaxStreamDura
       }
     }
 
-    private void cleanUpRoutes() {
+    private void cleanUpRoutes(String error) {
       if (existingClusters != null) {
         for (String cluster : existingClusters) {
           int count = clusterRefs.get(cluster).refCount.decrementAndGet();
@@ -871,7 +880,17 @@ private void cleanUpRoutes() {
         existingClusters = null;
       }
       routingConfig = RoutingConfig.empty;
-      listener.onResult(emptyResult);
+      // Without addresses the default LB (normally pick_first) should become TRANSIENT_FAILURE, and
+      // the config selector handles the error message itself. Once the LB API allows providing
+      // failure information for addresses yet still providing a service config, the config seector
+      // could be avoided.
+      listener.onResult(ResolutionResult.newBuilder()
+          .setAttributes(Attributes.newBuilder()
+            .set(InternalConfigSelector.KEY,
+              new FailingConfigSelector(Status.UNAVAILABLE.withDescription(error)))
+            .build())
+          .setServiceConfig(emptyServiceConfig)
+          .build());
       receivedConfig = true;
     }
 
@@ -938,8 +957,9 @@ public void run() {
             if (RouteDiscoveryState.this != routeDiscoveryState) {
               return;
             }
-            logger.log(XdsLogLevel.INFO, "RDS resource {0} unavailable", resourceName);
-            cleanUpRoutes();
+            String error = "RDS resource does not exist: " + resourceName;
+            logger.log(XdsLogLevel.INFO, error);
+            cleanUpRoutes(error);
           }
         });
       }
diff --git a/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsNameResolverTest.java b/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsNameResolverTest.java
index 2f0d91f90dc..76ca00eacc6 100644
--- a/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsNameResolverTest.java
+++ b/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsNameResolverTest.java
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ public void resolving_ldsResourceNotFound() {
     resolver.start(mockListener);
     FakeXdsClient xdsClient = (FakeXdsClient) resolver.getXdsClient();
     xdsClient.deliverLdsResourceNotFound();
-    assertEmptyResolutionResult();
+    assertEmptyResolutionResult(expectedLdsResourceName);
   }
 
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ public void resolving_rdsResourceNotFound() {
     FakeXdsClient xdsClient = (FakeXdsClient) resolver.getXdsClient();
     xdsClient.deliverLdsUpdateForRdsName(RDS_RESOURCE_NAME);
     xdsClient.deliverRdsResourceNotFound(RDS_RESOURCE_NAME);
-    assertEmptyResolutionResult();
+    assertEmptyResolutionResult(RDS_RESOURCE_NAME);
   }
 
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ public void resolving_ldsResourceRevokedAndAddedBack() {
     reset(mockListener);
     xdsClient.deliverLdsResourceNotFound();  // revoke LDS resource
     assertThat(xdsClient.rdsResource).isNull();  // stop subscribing to stale RDS resource
-    assertEmptyResolutionResult();
+    assertEmptyResolutionResult(expectedLdsResourceName);
 
     reset(mockListener);
     xdsClient.deliverLdsUpdateForRdsName(RDS_RESOURCE_NAME);
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ public void resolving_rdsResourceRevokedAndAddedBack() {
 
     reset(mockListener);
     xdsClient.deliverRdsResourceNotFound(RDS_RESOURCE_NAME);  // revoke RDS resource
-    assertEmptyResolutionResult();
+    assertEmptyResolutionResult(RDS_RESOURCE_NAME);
 
     // Simulate management server adds back the previously used RDS resource.
     reset(mockListener);
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ public void resolving_matchingVirtualHostNotFoundInLdsResource() {
     resolver.start(mockListener);
     FakeXdsClient xdsClient = (FakeXdsClient) resolver.getXdsClient();
     xdsClient.deliverLdsUpdate(0L, buildUnmatchedVirtualHosts());
-    assertEmptyResolutionResult();
+    assertEmptyResolutionResult(expectedLdsResourceName);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ public void resolving_matchingVirtualHostNotFoundInRdsResource() {
     FakeXdsClient xdsClient = (FakeXdsClient) resolver.getXdsClient();
     xdsClient.deliverLdsUpdateForRdsName(RDS_RESOURCE_NAME);
     xdsClient.deliverRdsUpdate(RDS_RESOURCE_NAME, buildUnmatchedVirtualHosts());
-    assertEmptyResolutionResult();
+    assertEmptyResolutionResult(expectedLdsResourceName);
   }
 
   private List<VirtualHost> buildUnmatchedVirtualHosts() {
@@ -1056,11 +1056,16 @@ public void resolved_simpleCallSucceeds_routeToRls() {
   }
 
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-  private void assertEmptyResolutionResult() {
+  private void assertEmptyResolutionResult(String resource) {
     verify(mockListener).onResult(resolutionResultCaptor.capture());
     ResolutionResult result = resolutionResultCaptor.getValue();
     assertThat(result.getAddresses()).isEmpty();
     assertThat((Map<String, ?>) result.getServiceConfig().getConfig()).isEmpty();
+    InternalConfigSelector configSelector = result.getAttributes().get(InternalConfigSelector.KEY);
+    Result configResult = configSelector.selectConfig(
+        new PickSubchannelArgsImpl(call1.methodDescriptor, new Metadata(), CallOptions.DEFAULT));
+    assertThat(configResult.getStatus().getCode()).isEqualTo(Status.Code.UNAVAILABLE);
+    assertThat(configResult.getStatus().getDescription()).contains(resource);
   }
 
   private void assertCallSelectClusterResult(