diff --git a/mitmproxy/net/dns/domain_names.py b/mitmproxy/net/dns/domain_names.py
index 97f14944c..520fb65e1 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/net/dns/domain_names.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/net/dns/domain_names.py
@@ -147,17 +147,23 @@ def decompress_from_record_data(
     decompress_size = 0
     while data_offset < end_data - offset:
         if buffer[offset + data_offset] & _POINTER_INDICATOR == _POINTER_INDICATOR:
-            (
-                rr_name,
-                rr_name_len,
-            ) = unpack_from_with_compression(buffer, offset + data_offset, cached_names)
-            data[
-                data_offset + decompress_size : data_offset
-                + decompress_size
-                + rr_name_len
-            ] = pack(rr_name)
-            decompress_size += len(rr_name)
-            data_offset += rr_name_len
-            continue
+            try:
+                (
+                    rr_name,
+                    rr_name_len,
+                ) = unpack_from_with_compression(
+                    buffer, offset + data_offset, cached_names
+                )
+                data[
+                    data_offset + decompress_size : data_offset
+                    + decompress_size
+                    + rr_name_len
+                ] = pack(rr_name)
+                decompress_size += len(rr_name)
+                data_offset += rr_name_len
+                continue
+            except struct.error:
+                # the byte isn't actually a domain name compression pointer but some other data type
+                pass
         data_offset += 1
     return bytes(data)
diff --git a/test/mitmproxy/net/dns/test_domain_names.py b/test/mitmproxy/net/dns/test_domain_names.py
index a6d749f96..72467ed27 100644
--- a/test/mitmproxy/net/dns/test_domain_names.py
+++ b/test/mitmproxy/net/dns/test_domain_names.py
@@ -85,3 +85,17 @@ def test_decompress_from_record_data():
         == b"\x03ns1\x06google\x03com\x00\tdns-admin\x06google\x03com\x00&~gw\x00\x00\x03\x84\x00\x00\x03\x84\x00"
         + b"\x00\x07\x08\x00\x00\x00<"
     )
+
+
+def test_record_data_contains_fake_pointer():
+    # \xd2\a2 and \xc2\x00 seem like domain name compression pointers but are actually part of some other data type
+    buffer = (
+        b"\xfc\xc7\x81\x80\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00\x00\x06google\x03com\x00\x00\x06\x00\x01\xc0\x0c\x00\x06\x00"
+        + b"\x01\x00\x00\x008\x00&\x03ns1\xc0\x0c\tdns-admin\xc0\x0c&\xd2\xa2\xc2\x00\x00\x03\x84\x00\x00\x03\x84\x00"
+        + b"\x00\x07\x08\x00\x00\x00<"
+    )
+    assert (
+        domain_names.decompress_from_record_data(buffer, 40, 78, domain_names.cache())
+        == b"\x03ns1\x06google\x03com\x00\tdns-admin\x06google\x03com\x00&\xd2\xa2\xc2\x00\x00\x03\x84\x00\x00\x03"
+        + b"\x84\x00\x00\x07\x08\x00\x00\x00<"
+    )