diff --git a/changes/bug5635 b/changes/bug5635
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9c2e729672
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug5635
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+  o Major bugfixes (directory authorities):
+    - If authorities are unable to get a set of v2 consensus documents
+      from other directory authorities, they no longer fail-back and try
+      to fetch them from regular directory caches. This is a bugfix on
+      0.2.2.26-beta, where routers stopped downloading v2 consensus
+      documents entirely. Fix for bug #5635.
diff --git a/src/or/directory.c b/src/or/directory.c
index fbde7859e8..6394aece71 100644
--- a/src/or/directory.c
+++ b/src/or/directory.c
@@ -354,6 +354,7 @@ directory_get_from_dirserver(uint8_t dir_purpose, uint8_t router_purpose,
   const routerstatus_t *rs = NULL;
   const or_options_t *options = get_options();
   int prefer_authority = directory_fetches_from_authorities(options);
+  int require_authority = 0;
   int get_via_tor = purpose_needs_anonymity(dir_purpose, router_purpose);
   dirinfo_type_t type;
   time_t if_modified_since = 0;
@@ -369,6 +370,7 @@ directory_get_from_dirserver(uint8_t dir_purpose, uint8_t router_purpose,
     case DIR_PURPOSE_FETCH_V2_NETWORKSTATUS:
       type = V2_DIRINFO;
       prefer_authority = 1; /* Only v2 authorities have these anyway. */
+      require_authority = 1; /* Don't fallback to asking a non-authority */
       break;
     case DIR_PURPOSE_FETCH_SERVERDESC:
       type = (router_purpose == ROUTER_PURPOSE_BRIDGE ? BRIDGE_DIRINFO :
@@ -469,6 +471,11 @@ directory_get_from_dirserver(uint8_t dir_purpose, uint8_t router_purpose,
             return;
           }
         }
+        if (rs == NULL && require_authority) {
+          log_info(LD_DIR, "No authorities were available for %s: will try "
+                   "later.", dir_conn_purpose_to_string(dir_purpose));
+          return;
+        }
       }
       if (!rs && type != BRIDGE_DIRINFO) {
         /* anybody with a non-zero dirport will do */