diff --git a/bin/tests/system/dnssec/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/dnssec/tests.sh
index 881548c80e..f2b7b76685 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/dnssec/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/dnssec/tests.sh
@@ -386,9 +386,9 @@ status=$((status + ret))
 
 echo_i "checking negative validation NXDOMAIN NSEC3 ($n)"
 ret=0
-dig_with_opts +noauth a.b.c.d.e.f.g.h.i.j.nsec3.example. \
+dig_with_opts +noauth q.nsec3.example. \
   @10.53.0.3 a >dig.out.ns3.test$n || ret=1
-dig_with_opts +noauth a.b.c.d.e.f.g.h.i.j.nsec3.example. \
+dig_with_opts +noauth q.nsec3.example. \
   @10.53.0.4 a >dig.out.ns4.test$n || ret=1
 digcomp dig.out.ns3.test$n dig.out.ns4.test$n || ret=1
 grep "flags:.*ad.*QUERY" dig.out.ns4.test$n >/dev/null || ret=1
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h
index cb689c4a01..e38f4a3aca 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h
@@ -258,7 +258,6 @@ enum {
 	DNS_DBFIND_FORCENSEC3 = 1 << 5,
 	DNS_DBFIND_ADDITIONALOK = 1 << 6,
 	DNS_DBFIND_NOZONECUT = 1 << 7,
-	DNS_DBFIND_WANTPARTIAL = 1 << 8,
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/lib/dns/qpzone.c b/lib/dns/qpzone.c
index 5343f50562..0e6d0eb23d 100644
--- a/lib/dns/qpzone.c
+++ b/lib/dns/qpzone.c
@@ -3412,11 +3412,7 @@ find(dns_db_t *db, const dns_name_t *name, dns_dbversion_t *version,
 						: DNS_R_NXDOMAIN;
 			}
 		} else {
-			bool wantpartial = (options & DNS_DBFIND_WANTPARTIAL) !=
-					   0;
-			result = active	       ? DNS_R_EMPTYNAME
-				 : wantpartial ? DNS_R_PARTIALMATCH
-					       : DNS_R_NXDOMAIN;
+			result = active ? DNS_R_EMPTYNAME : DNS_R_NXDOMAIN;
 		}
 		goto tree_exit;
 	} else if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
diff --git a/lib/dns/rbt-zonedb.c b/lib/dns/rbt-zonedb.c
index 7ac52225db..16636375a2 100644
--- a/lib/dns/rbt-zonedb.c
+++ b/lib/dns/rbt-zonedb.c
@@ -1094,11 +1094,7 @@ zone_find(dns_db_t *db, const dns_name_t *name, dns_dbversion_t *version,
 						: DNS_R_NXDOMAIN;
 			}
 		} else {
-			bool wantpartial = (options & DNS_DBFIND_WANTPARTIAL) !=
-					   0;
-			result = active	       ? DNS_R_EMPTYNAME
-				 : wantpartial ? DNS_R_PARTIALMATCH
-					       : DNS_R_NXDOMAIN;
+			result = active ? DNS_R_EMPTYNAME : DNS_R_NXDOMAIN;
 		}
 		goto tree_exit;
 	} else if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
diff --git a/lib/ns/query.c b/lib/ns/query.c
index a22505dc9f..7f900de9eb 100644
--- a/lib/ns/query.c
+++ b/lib/ns/query.c
@@ -10960,7 +10960,6 @@ again:
 		 * Find the closest encloser.
 		 */
 		dns_name_copy(name, cname);
-		bool once = true;
 		while (result == DNS_R_NXDOMAIN) {
 			labels = dns_name_countlabels(cname) - 1;
 			/*
@@ -10970,21 +10969,10 @@ again:
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
 			dns_name_split(cname, labels, NULL, cname);
-			result = dns_db_findext(
-				qctx->db, cname, qctx->version,
-				dns_rdatatype_nsec,
-				options | (once ? DNS_DBFIND_WANTPARTIAL : 0),
-				0, NULL, fname, &cm, &ci, NULL, NULL);
-			if (result == DNS_R_PARTIALMATCH && once) {
-				unsigned int flabels =
-					dns_name_countlabels(fname);
-				if (labels > flabels + 1) {
-					dns_name_split(cname, flabels + 1, NULL,
-						       cname);
-				}
-				result = DNS_R_NXDOMAIN;
-			}
-			once = false;
+			result = dns_db_findext(qctx->db, cname, qctx->version,
+						dns_rdatatype_nsec, options, 0,
+						NULL, fname, &cm, &ci, NULL,
+						NULL);
 		}
 		/*
 		 * Add closest (provable) encloser NSEC3.