diff --git a/lib/dns/qp.c b/lib/dns/qp.c
index dff011ba66..686c3561f5 100644
--- a/lib/dns/qp.c
+++ b/lib/dns/qp.c
@@ -259,13 +259,12 @@ dns_qpkey_toname(const dns_qpkey_t key, size_t keylen, dns_name_t *name) {
 	REQUIRE(name->buffer != NULL);
 	REQUIRE(name->offsets != NULL);
 
+	dns_name_reset(name);
+
 	if (keylen == 0) {
-		dns_name_reset(name);
 		return;
 	}
 
-	isc_buffer_clear(name->buffer);
-
 	/* Scan the key looking for label boundaries */
 	for (offset = 0; offset <= keylen; offset++) {
 		INSIST(key[offset] >= SHIFT_NOBYTE &&
diff --git a/tests/dns/qp_test.c b/tests/dns/qp_test.c
index 7dc0f68c2a..6938cb9fd8 100644
--- a/tests/dns/qp_test.c
+++ b/tests/dns/qp_test.c
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ ISC_RUN_TEST_IMPL(qpkey_name) {
 		dns_qpkey_t key;
 		dns_fixedname_t fn1, fn2;
 		dns_name_t *in = NULL, *out = NULL;
+		char namebuf[DNS_NAME_FORMATSIZE];
 
 		in = dns_fixedname_initname(&fn1);
 		if (testcases[i].len != 0) {
@@ -111,6 +112,9 @@ ISC_RUN_TEST_IMPL(qpkey_name) {
 		out = dns_fixedname_initname(&fn2);
 		dns_qpkey_toname(key, len, out);
 		assert_true(dns_name_equal(in, out));
+		/* check that 'out' is properly reset by dns_qpkey_toname */
+		dns_qpkey_toname(key, len, out);
+		dns_name_format(out, namebuf, sizeof(namebuf));
 	}
 }