diff --git a/src/controller/controller.ts b/src/controller/controller.ts
index 810daf8eb1..1a43225736 100644
--- a/src/controller/controller.ts
+++ b/src/controller/controller.ts
@@ -540,21 +540,27 @@ class Controller extends events.EventEmitter<ControllerEventMap> {
         this.unknownDevices.add(nwkAddress);
         const clusterId = Zdo.ClusterId.IEEE_ADDRESS_REQUEST;
         const zdoPayload = Zdo.Buffalo.buildRequest(this.adapter.hasZdoMessageOverhead, clusterId, nwkAddress, false, 0);
-        const response = await this.adapter.sendZdo(ZSpec.BLANK_EUI64, nwkAddress, clusterId, zdoPayload, false);
 
-        if (Zdo.Buffalo.checkStatus(response)) {
-            const payload = response[1];
-            const device = Device.byIeeeAddr(payload.eui64);
+        try {
+            const response = await this.adapter.sendZdo(ZSpec.BLANK_EUI64, nwkAddress, clusterId, zdoPayload, false);
 
-            /* istanbul ignore else */
-            if (device) {
-                this.checkDeviceNetworkAddress(device, payload.eui64, payload.nwkAddress);
-                this.unknownDevices.delete(payload.nwkAddress);
-            }
+            if (Zdo.Buffalo.checkStatus(response)) {
+                const payload = response[1];
+                const device = Device.byIeeeAddr(payload.eui64);
 
-            return device;
-        } else {
-            logger.debug(`Failed to retrieve IEEE address for device '${nwkAddress}': ${Zdo.Status[response[0]]}`, NS);
+                /* istanbul ignore else */
+                if (device) {
+                    this.checkDeviceNetworkAddress(device, payload.eui64, payload.nwkAddress);
+                    this.unknownDevices.delete(payload.nwkAddress);
+                }
+
+                return device;
+            } else {
+                throw new Zdo.StatusError(response[0]);
+            }
+        } catch (error) {
+            // Catches 2 types of exception: Zdo.StatusError and no response from `adapter.sendZdo()`.
+            logger.debug(`Failed to retrieve IEEE address for device '${nwkAddress}': ${error}`, NS);
         }
 
         // NOTE: by keeping nwkAddress in `this.unknownDevices` on fail, it prevents a non-responding device from potentially spamming identify.
diff --git a/test/controller.test.ts b/test/controller.test.ts
index f16bf8c711..8449126b7e 100755
--- a/test/controller.test.ts
+++ b/test/controller.test.ts
@@ -10413,7 +10413,7 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
         expect(device.networkAddress).toStrictEqual(oldNwkAddress);
         expect(device.modelID).toBe('TRADFRI bulb E27 WS opal 980lm');
         expect(mockLogger.debug).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-            `Failed to retrieve IEEE address for device '${newNwkAddress}': INV_REQUESTTYPE`,
+            `Failed to retrieve IEEE address for device '${newNwkAddress}': Error: Status 'INV_REQUESTTYPE'`,
             'zh:controller',
         );
         expect(events.lastSeenChanged.length).toBe(0);
@@ -10484,12 +10484,7 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
         events.lastSeenChanged = [];
         events.deviceNetworkAddressChanged = [];
         mockAdapterSendZdo.mockClear();
-        mockAdapterSendZdo.mockImplementationOnce(async () => {
-            const zdoResponse = [Zdo.Status.NOT_SUPPORTED, undefined];
-
-            await mockAdapterEvents['zdoResponse'](Zdo.ClusterId.IEEE_ADDRESS_RESPONSE, zdoResponse);
-            return zdoResponse;
-        });
+        mockAdapterSendZdo.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('timeout'));
         const identifyUnknownDeviceSpy = jest.spyOn(controller, 'identifyUnknownDevice');
 
         const frame = Zcl.Frame.create(0, 1, true, undefined, 10, 'readRsp', 0, [{attrId: 5, status: 0, dataType: 66, attrData: 'new.model.id'}], {});
@@ -10506,7 +10501,7 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
 
         expect(mockAdapterSendZdo).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
         expect(identifyUnknownDeviceSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-        expect(mockLogger.debug).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`Failed to retrieve IEEE address for device '${nwkAddress}': NOT_SUPPORTED`, 'zh:controller');
+        expect(mockLogger.debug).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`Failed to retrieve IEEE address for device '${nwkAddress}': Error: timeout`, 'zh:controller');
 
         await mockAdapterEvents['zclPayload']({
             wasBroadcast: false,