diff --git a/lib/irs/resconf.c b/lib/irs/resconf.c
index 6cb4ce327a..55a50979cf 100644
--- a/lib/irs/resconf.c
+++ b/lib/irs/resconf.c
@@ -503,6 +503,7 @@ irs_resconf_load(isc_mem_t *mctx, const char *filename, irs_resconf_t **confp)
 
 	conf->mctx = mctx;
 	ISC_LIST_INIT(conf->nameservers);
+	ISC_LIST_INIT(conf->searchlist);
 	conf->numns = 0;
 	conf->domainname = NULL;
 	conf->searchnxt = 0;
@@ -557,6 +558,10 @@ irs_resconf_load(isc_mem_t *mctx, const char *filename, irs_resconf_t **confp)
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (ret != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
+		goto error;
+	}
+
 	/* If we don't find a nameserver fall back to localhost */
 	if (conf->numns == 0U) {
 		INSIST(ISC_LIST_EMPTY(conf->nameservers));
@@ -570,7 +575,6 @@ irs_resconf_load(isc_mem_t *mctx, const char *filename, irs_resconf_t **confp)
 	 * Construct unified search list from domain or configured
 	 * search list
 	 */
-	ISC_LIST_INIT(conf->searchlist);
 	if (conf->domainname != NULL) {
 		ret = add_search(conf, conf->domainname);
 	} else if (conf->searchnxt > 0) {
@@ -581,6 +585,7 @@ irs_resconf_load(isc_mem_t *mctx, const char *filename, irs_resconf_t **confp)
 		}
 	}
 
+ error:
 	conf->magic = IRS_RESCONF_MAGIC;
 
 	if (ret != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
diff --git a/lib/irs/tests/resconf_test.c b/lib/irs/tests/resconf_test.c
index 7f527a83cb..298cdc5668 100644
--- a/lib/irs/tests/resconf_test.c
+++ b/lib/irs/tests/resconf_test.c
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ ATF_TC_BODY(irs_resconf_load, tc) {
 		}, {
 			"testdata/options.conf", ISC_R_SUCCESS,
 			NULL, ISC_R_SUCCESS
+		}, {
+			"testdata/options-bad-ndots.conf", ISC_R_RANGE,
+			NULL, ISC_R_SUCCESS
+		}, {
+			"testdata/options-empty.conf", ISC_R_UNEXPECTEDEND,
+			NULL, ISC_R_SUCCESS
 		}, {
 			"testdata/port.conf", ISC_R_SUCCESS,
 			NULL, ISC_R_SUCCESS
diff --git a/lib/irs/tests/testdata/options-bad-ndots.conf b/lib/irs/tests/testdata/options-bad-ndots.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5c104c74b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/irs/tests/testdata/options-bad-ndots.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
+#
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+#
+# See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
+# information regarding copyright ownership.
+
+search example.com example.net
+options ndots:256
diff --git a/lib/irs/tests/testdata/options-empty.conf b/lib/irs/tests/testdata/options-empty.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e8b902ea2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/irs/tests/testdata/options-empty.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
+#
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+#
+# See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
+# information regarding copyright ownership.
+
+domain example.com
+options