diff --git a/renovate.json b/renovate.json
index 5db72dd..22a9943 100644
--- a/renovate.json
+++ b/renovate.json
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://docs.renovatebot.com/renovate-schema.json",
-  "extends": [
-    "config:recommended"
-  ]
+  "extends": ["config:recommended"]
 }
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index aa20ebc..517587d 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import { whoisQuery } from "./whois/client.js";
 import {
   extractWhoisReferral,
   ianaWhoisServerForTld,
+  getIanaWhoisTextForTld,
+  parseIanaRegistrationInfoUrl,
 } from "./whois/discovery.js";
 import { normalizeWhois } from "./whois/normalize.js";
 import { WHOIS_TLD_EXCEPTIONS } from "./whois/servers.js";
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@ export async function lookupDomain(
       if (opts?.rdapOnly) {
         return {
           ok: false,
-          error: "RDAP not available or failed for this TLD",
+          error: `RDAP not available or failed for TLD '${tld}'. Many TLDs do not publish RDAP; try WHOIS fallback (omit rdapOnly).`,
         };
       }
     }
@@ -62,7 +64,18 @@ export async function lookupDomain(
     // WHOIS fallback path
     const whoisServer = await ianaWhoisServerForTld(tld, opts);
     if (!whoisServer) {
-      return { ok: false, error: "No WHOIS server discovered for TLD" };
+      // Provide a clearer, actionable message
+      const ianaText = await getIanaWhoisTextForTld(tld, opts);
+      const regUrl = ianaText
+        ? parseIanaRegistrationInfoUrl(ianaText)
+        : undefined;
+      const hint = regUrl
+        ? ` See registration info at ${regUrl}.`
+        : "";
+      return {
+        ok: false,
+        error: `No WHOIS server discovered for TLD '${tld}'. This registry may not publish public WHOIS over port 43.${hint}`,
+      };
     }
     // Query the TLD server first; if it returns a referral, we follow it below.
     let res = await whoisQuery(whoisServer, domain, opts);
diff --git a/src/whois/discovery.ts b/src/whois/discovery.ts
index 1d46eb0..f0dba6c 100644
--- a/src/whois/discovery.ts
+++ b/src/whois/discovery.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,62 @@ import type { LookupOptions } from "../types.js";
 import { whoisQuery } from "./client.js";
 import { WHOIS_TLD_EXCEPTIONS } from "./servers.js";
 
+/**
+ * Parse the IANA WHOIS response for a TLD and extract the WHOIS server
+ * without crossing line boundaries. Some TLDs (e.g. .np) leave the field
+ * blank, in which case this returns undefined.
+ */
+export function parseIanaWhoisServer(text: string): string | undefined {
+  // Search lines in priority order: whois, refer, whois server
+  const fields = ["whois", "refer", "whois server"];
+  const lines = String(text).split(/\r?\n/);
+  for (const field of fields) {
+    for (const raw of lines) {
+      const line = raw.trimEnd();
+      // Match beginning of line, allowing leading spaces, case-insensitive
+      const re = new RegExp(`^\\s*${field}\\s*:\\s*(.*?)$`, "i");
+      const m = line.match(re);
+      if (m) {
+        const value = (m[1] || "").trim();
+        if (value) return value;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Parse a likely registration information URL from an IANA WHOIS response.
+ * Looks at lines like:
+ *   remarks: Registration information: http://example.tld
+ *   url: https://registry.example
+ */
+export function parseIanaRegistrationInfoUrl(
+  text: string,
+): string | undefined {
+  const lines = String(text).split(/\r?\n/);
+  for (const raw of lines) {
+    const line = raw.trim();
+    if (!/^\s*(remarks|url|website)\s*:/i.test(line)) continue;
+    const urlMatch = line.match(/https?:\/\/\S+/i);
+    if (urlMatch?.[0]) return urlMatch[0];
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+/** Fetch raw IANA WHOIS text for a TLD (best-effort). */
+export async function getIanaWhoisTextForTld(
+  tld: string,
+  options?: LookupOptions,
+): Promise<string | undefined> {
+  try {
+    const res = await whoisQuery("whois.iana.org", tld.toLowerCase(), options);
+    return res.text;
+  } catch {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Best-effort discovery of the authoritative WHOIS server for a TLD via IANA root DB.
  */
@@ -18,11 +74,7 @@ export async function ianaWhoisServerForTld(
   try {
     const res = await whoisQuery("whois.iana.org", key, options);
     const txt = res.text;
-    const m =
-      txt.match(/^whois:\s*(\S+)/im) ||
-      txt.match(/^refer:\s*(\S+)/im) ||
-      txt.match(/^whois server:\s*(\S+)/im);
-    const server = m?.[1];
+    const server = parseIanaWhoisServer(txt);
     if (server) return normalizeServer(server);
   } catch {
     // fallthrough to exceptions/guess