Lars Lagerbäck was forced to do without injured Martin Ødegaard in Norway's first international match in 291 days, the longest match break since World War II.
Before the audience-free meeting with Austria, it had also been four years since the last home loss and Lars Lagerbäck, who took over in 2017, has been undefeated in his 14 international matches at Ullevål in Oslo.
But now the Swede has a one instead of a zero in his loss column in the national arena.
Volleyball and penalties
Austria connected the grip when Michael Gregoritsch on volley hit 1-0 on Andreas Ulmer's fine post in the 35th minute of the match.
2-0 came on a cheap penalty for hand in the 54th minute, Marcel Sabitzer placed his penalty kick close to one post.
Erling Braut Haaland has scored goals at club team level in recent seasons, first in Salzburg and then at the turn of the year for Borussia Dortmund.
There have also been 30 goals for various Norwegian youth national teams over the years, but the first full hit at senior level was delayed until Friday night - in what was the 20-year-old's only third A-international match.
A cross coming in on the right hand side left Haaland alone in front of the goal after 66 minutes but his shot was woeful.
European Championship qualifiers in October
But Norway, which in the Nations League is closest to Northern Ireland - which played 1-1 in Romania - did not get any closer away on Monday.
In just over a month, an even more important battle awaits when Norway takes on Serbia on October 8, when the final qualifiers begin for the last vacant places in next year's European Championship finals.