diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
index ec5e8f9da1..2519f97911 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
@@ -168,6 +168,19 @@ dns_zone_create(dns_zone_t **zonep, isc_mem_t *mctx, unsigned int tid);
  *\li	'*zonep' refers to a valid zone.
  */
 
+isc_result_t
+dns_zone_makedb(dns_zone_t *zone, dns_db_t **dbp);
+/*%<
+ *	Creates a new empty database for the 'zone'.
+ *
+ * Requires:
+ *\li	'zone' to be a valid zone.
+ *\li	'dbp' to point to NULL pointer.
+ *
+ * Returns:
+ *\li	dns_db_create() error codes.
+ */
+
 void
 dns_zone_setclass(dns_zone_t *zone, dns_rdataclass_t rdclass);
 /*%<
diff --git a/lib/dns/xfrin.c b/lib/dns/xfrin.c
index 0edf52497f..02488ebaed 100644
--- a/lib/dns/xfrin.c
+++ b/lib/dns/xfrin.c
@@ -219,8 +219,6 @@ xfrin_create(isc_mem_t *mctx, dns_zone_t *zone, dns_db_t *db, isc_loop_t *loop,
 static isc_result_t
 axfr_init(dns_xfrin_t *xfr);
 static isc_result_t
-axfr_makedb(dns_xfrin_t *xfr, dns_db_t **dbp);
-static isc_result_t
 axfr_putdata(dns_xfrin_t *xfr, dns_diffop_t op, dns_name_t *name, dns_ttl_t ttl,
 	     dns_rdata_t *rdata);
 static void
@@ -285,7 +283,11 @@ axfr_init(dns_xfrin_t *xfr) {
 		dns_db_detach(&xfr->db);
 	}
 
-	CHECK(axfr_makedb(xfr, &xfr->db));
+	CHECK(dns_zone_makedb(xfr->zone, &xfr->db));
+
+	dns_zone_rpz_enable_db(xfr->zone, xfr->db);
+	dns_zone_catz_enable_db(xfr->zone, xfr->db);
+
 	dns_rdatacallbacks_init(&xfr->axfr);
 	CHECK(dns_db_beginload(xfr->db, &xfr->axfr));
 	result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
@@ -293,19 +295,6 @@ failure:
 	return (result);
 }
 
-static isc_result_t
-axfr_makedb(dns_xfrin_t *xfr, dns_db_t **dbp) {
-	isc_result_t result;
-
-	result = dns_db_create(xfr->mctx, ZONEDB_DEFAULT, &xfr->name,
-			       dns_dbtype_zone, xfr->rdclass, 0, NULL, dbp);
-	if (result == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-		dns_zone_rpz_enable_db(xfr->zone, *dbp);
-		dns_zone_catz_enable_db(xfr->zone, *dbp);
-	}
-	return (result);
-}
-
 static isc_result_t
 axfr_putdata(dns_xfrin_t *xfr, dns_diffop_t op, dns_name_t *name, dns_ttl_t ttl,
 	     dns_rdata_t *rdata) {
diff --git a/lib/dns/zone.c b/lib/dns/zone.c
index 34e771b5cb..16afcc7b87 100644
--- a/lib/dns/zone.c
+++ b/lib/dns/zone.c
@@ -2286,31 +2286,13 @@ zone_load(dns_zone_t *zone, unsigned int flags, bool locked) {
 	dns_zone_logc(zone, DNS_LOGCATEGORY_ZONELOAD, ISC_LOG_DEBUG(1),
 		      "starting load");
 
-	result = dns_db_create(zone->mctx, zone->db_argv[0], &zone->origin,
-			       (zone->type == dns_zone_stub) ? dns_dbtype_stub
-							     : dns_dbtype_zone,
-			       zone->rdclass, zone->db_argc - 1,
-			       zone->db_argv + 1, &db);
-
+	result = dns_zone_makedb(zone, &db);
 	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
 		dns_zone_logc(zone, DNS_LOGCATEGORY_ZONELOAD, ISC_LOG_ERROR,
 			      "loading zone: creating database: %s",
 			      isc_result_totext(result));
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
-	dns_db_setloop(db, zone->loop);
-
-	if (zone->type == dns_zone_primary ||
-	    zone->type == dns_zone_secondary || zone->type == dns_zone_mirror)
-	{
-		result = dns_db_setgluecachestats(db, zone->gluecachestats);
-		if (result == ISC_R_NOTIMPLEMENTED) {
-			result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
-		}
-		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-			goto cleanup;
-		}
-	}
 
 	if (!dns_db_ispersistent(db)) {
 		if (zone->masterfile != NULL || zone->stream != NULL) {
@@ -24073,3 +24055,43 @@ isc_loop_t *
 dns_zone_getloop(dns_zone_t *zone) {
 	return (zone->loop);
 }
+
+isc_result_t
+dns_zone_makedb(dns_zone_t *zone, dns_db_t **dbp) {
+	REQUIRE(DNS_ZONE_VALID(zone));
+	REQUIRE(dbp != NULL && *dbp == NULL);
+
+	dns_db_t *db = NULL;
+
+	isc_result_t result = dns_db_create(
+		zone->mctx, zone->db_argv[0], &zone->origin,
+		(zone->type == dns_zone_stub) ? dns_dbtype_stub
+					      : dns_dbtype_zone,
+		zone->rdclass, zone->db_argc - 1, zone->db_argv + 1, &db);
+	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
+		return (result);
+	}
+
+	switch (zone->type) {
+	case dns_zone_primary:
+	case dns_zone_secondary:
+	case dns_zone_mirror:
+		result = dns_db_setgluecachestats(db, zone->gluecachestats);
+		if (result == ISC_R_NOTIMPLEMENTED) {
+			result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+		}
+		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
+			dns_db_detach(&db);
+			return (result);
+		}
+		break;
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+
+	dns_db_setloop(db, zone->loop);
+
+	*dbp = db;
+
+	return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
+}