[Exim] exim / debian dialup - timeout on dnslookup when smar…

I'm trying to configure exim (3.32-2.deb) on a debian client, which
receives mail via fetchmail and sends all mail to a smarthost (a router
running qmail).

Whenever the router is online, everything works fine - I can send both
local and remote mails, A-OK.

When the router is offline, sending mails from mutt hangs mutt for a few
seconds 'Sending email....', running exim -qff also pauses a few
seconds.

Using -d11 tells me nothing about what dns it's trying to lookup.

Given the facts that

my internet-domainname = rivierenland xs4all nl
my clients domainname    middle.of.nowhere
my smarthost             gates.of.nowhere

and this egrep -v "^#|^$" /etc/exim/exim.conf (see below), can anybody
tell me

- what exim is trying to look up?
- and how I can switch it off?

I tried using 'dns_retry = 0' but it's sparsely documented and doesn't
make any difference. I read all the docs, browsed the web, searched the
archives, but I couldn't find anything describing this timeout.

my /etc/exim/exim.conf:

dns_retry = 0
qualify_domain = rivierenland.xs4all.nl
qualify_recipient = middle.of.nowhere
local_domains = localhost:middle.of.nowhere
local_domains_include_host = true
local_domains_include_host_literals = true
never_users = root
host_accept_relay = 127.0.0.1 : ::::1
host_auth_accept_relay = *
trusted_users = mail
smtp_verify = false
gecos_pattern = ^([^,:]*)
gecos_name = $1
smtp_accept_queue_per_connection = 100
freeze_tell_mailmaster = true
received_header_text = "Received: \
         ${if def:sender_rcvhost {from ${sender_rcvhost}\n\t}\
         {${if def:sender_ident {from ${sender_ident} }}\
         ${if def:sender_helo_name {(helo=${sender_helo_name})\n\t}}}}\
         by ${primary_hostname} \
         ${if def:received_protocol {with ${received_protocol}}} \
         (Exim ${version_number} #${compile_number} (Debian))\n\t\
         id ${message_id}\
         ${if def:received_for {\n\tfor <$received_for>}}"
end
local_delivery:
  driver = appendfile
  group = mail
  mode = 0660
  mode_fail_narrower = false
  envelope_to_add = true
  return_path_add = true
  file = /var/spool/mail/${local_part}
maildir_local_delivery:
  driver = appendfile
  no_from_hack
  prefix = ""
  suffix = ""
  maildir_format
  directory = /var/spool/mail/${local_part}
  create_directory
address_pipe:
  driver = pipe
  path = /usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/bin
  return_output
address_file:
  driver = appendfile
  envelope_to_add = true
  return_path_add = true
address_directory:
  driver = appendfile
  no_from_hack
  prefix = ""
  suffix = ""
address_reply:
  driver = autoreply
procmail_pipe:
  driver = pipe
  command = "/usr/bin/procmail -d ${local_part}"
  return_path_add
  delivery_date_add
  envelope_to_add
  check_string = "From "
  escape_string = ">From "
  user = $local_part
remote_smtp:
  driver = smtp
end
real_local:
  prefix = real-
  driver = localuser
  transport = maildir_local_delivery
system_aliases:
  driver = aliasfile
  file_transport = address_file
  pipe_transport = address_pipe
  file = /etc/aliases
  search_type = lsearch
userforward:
  driver = forwardfile
  file_transport = address_file
  pipe_transport = address_pipe
  reply_transport = address_reply
  no_verify
  check_ancestor
  check_local_user
  file = .forward
  modemask = 002
  filter
procmail:
  driver = localuser
  transport = procmail_pipe
  require_files = ${local_part}:+${home}:+${home}/.procmailrc:+/usr/bin/procmail
  no_verify

localuser:
  driver = localuser
  transport = maildir_local_delivery
end
smarthost:
  driver = domainlist
  transport = remote_smtp
  route_list = "* gates.of.nowhere byname"
end
*                      *           F,60d,2m;
end
end

Thanks,
Jurriaan
-- 
The quantum mechanics of truth yield its secrets only
when its uncertainties are handled with care
    Stephen Donaldson - This day all Gods die
GNU/Linux 2.4.12-ac3 SMP/ReiserFS 2x1402 bogomips load av: 0.13 0.06 0.02