diff --git a/src/config/internal_routing.rs b/src/config/internal_routing.rs
index 3c531a0..217b9a8 100644
--- a/src/config/internal_routing.rs
+++ b/src/config/internal_routing.rs
@@ -22,25 +22,27 @@ impl Snapshot {
         local: SocketAddr,
         tls: bool,
     ) -> Option<&Arc<CompiledRoute>> {
-        for pattern in Self::host_patterns(host) {
-            let owns_host = self.fallbacks.get(pattern.as_ref()).is_some_and(|routes| {
+        Self::find_host_pattern(host, |pattern| {
+            let owns_host = self.fallbacks.get(pattern).is_some_and(|routes| {
                 routes.iter().any(|route| {
                     route.frontend.as_ref().is_some_and(|frontend| frontend.id == vhost_id)
                         && route.bindings.iter().any(|binding| binding.matches(local, tls))
                 })
             });
             if !owns_host {
-                continue;
+                return None;
             }
-            return self.routes.get(pattern.as_ref()).and_then(|routes| {
+            // Some(None) stops at the owning hostname even when the named
+            // location is absent. Do not try a less-specific wildcard.
+            Some(self.routes.get(pattern).and_then(|routes| {
                 routes.iter().find(|route| {
                     route.internal
                         && route.name == target
                         && route.frontend.as_ref().is_some_and(|frontend| frontend.id == vhost_id)
                         && route.bindings.iter().any(|binding| binding.matches(local, tls))
                 })
-            });
-        }
-        None
+            }))
+        })
+        .flatten()
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/config/tests.rs b/src/config/tests.rs
index f2aeea8..00e8486 100644
--- a/src/config/tests.rs
+++ b/src/config/tests.rs
@@ -988,6 +988,58 @@ fn stack_host_lookup_keeps_exact_and_most_specific_wildcard_order() {
     assert_eq!(no_wildcard_for_tld, None);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn internal_routing_uses_host_lookup_without_cross_vhost_dispatch() {
+    let mut config = demo_config("127.0.0.1:9000".parse().unwrap());
+    config.vhosts[0].id = "wildcard".into();
+    config.vhosts[0].frontend.hosts = vec!["*.example.test".into()];
+    config.vhosts[0].routes.push(crate::vhost::PathRoute {
+        id: "internal-page".into(),
+        internal: true,
+        ..Default::default()
+    });
+    let mut exact = config.vhosts[0].clone();
+    exact.id = "exact".into();
+    exact.frontend.hosts = vec!["api.example.test".into()];
+    exact.routes.retain(|route| !route.internal);
+    config.vhosts.push(exact);
+
+    let snapshot = compile(config, 1, &policy()).unwrap();
+    let local = "127.0.0.1:8080".parse().unwrap();
+    let internal = snapshot
+        .select_internal_on_arc("sub.example.test", "wildcard", "internal-page", local, false)
+        .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(internal.name, "internal-page");
+    assert!(internal.internal);
+    assert!(snapshot
+        .select_internal_on_arc("sub.example.test", "wildcard", "missing", local, false)
+        .is_none());
+    assert!(snapshot
+        .select_internal_on_arc("api.example.test", "exact", "internal-page", local, false)
+        .is_none());
+    assert!(snapshot
+        .select_internal_on_arc("unrelated.test", "wildcard", "internal-page", local, false)
+        .is_none());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn owned_host_without_internal_route_stops_wildcard_search() {
+    let mut visited = Vec::new();
+    let match_found = Snapshot::find_host_pattern("api.example.test", |pattern| {
+        visited.push(pattern.to_owned());
+        if pattern == "api.example.test" {
+            Some(None::<&str>)
+        } else if pattern == "*.example.test" {
+            Some(Some("wrong-fallback"))
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    })
+    .flatten();
+    assert_eq!(match_found, None);
+    assert_eq!(visited, vec!["api.example.test"]);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn stack_host_lookup_preserves_long_internal_host_fallback() {
     // Normalized runtime hosts are <=253 bytes. Direct internal callers with