diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index edb68f9eb0..5bcb3f716e 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+3953.	[bug]		Don't escape semi-colon in TXT fields. [RT #37159]
+
 3952.	[bug]		dns_name_fullcompare failed to set *nlabelsp when the
 			two name pointers were the same. [RT #37176]
 
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/genzone.sh b/bin/tests/system/genzone.sh
index 1957aaa2eb..93768d3b3d 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/genzone.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/genzone.sh
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ txt09			TXT	foo\010bar
 txt10			TXT	foo\ bar
 txt11			TXT	"\"foo\""
 txt12			TXT	\"foo\"
+txt13			TXT	"foo;"
+txt14			TXT	"foo\;"
+txt15			TXT	"bar\\;"
 
 ; type 17
 rp01			RP	mbox-dname txt-dname
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/xfer/dig1.good b/bin/tests/system/xfer/dig1.good
index 15842ab4d6..7ad4b68158 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/xfer/dig1.good
+++ b/bin/tests/system/xfer/dig1.good
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ txt09.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"foo\010bar"
 txt10.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"foo bar"
 txt11.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"\"foo\""
 txt12.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"\"foo\""
+txt13.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"foo;"
+txt14.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"foo;"
+txt15.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"bar\\;"
 uri01.example.		3600	IN	URI	10 20 "https://www.isc.org/"
 uri02.example.		3600	IN	URI	30 40 "https://www.isc.org/HolyCowThisSureIsAVeryLongURIRecordIDontEvenKnowWhatSomeoneWouldEverWantWithSuchAThingButTheSpecificationRequiresThatWesupportItSoHereWeGoTestingItLaLaLaLaLaLaLaSeriouslyThoughWhyWouldYouEvenConsiderUsingAURIThisLongItSeemsLikeASillyIdeaButEnhWhatAreYouGonnaDo/"
 uri03.example.		3600	IN	URI	30 40 ""
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/xfer/dig2.good b/bin/tests/system/xfer/dig2.good
index 2586c9acdc..cdb95dc4e2 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/xfer/dig2.good
+++ b/bin/tests/system/xfer/dig2.good
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ txt09.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"foo\010bar"
 txt10.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"foo bar"
 txt11.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"\"foo\""
 txt12.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"\"foo\""
+txt13.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"foo;"
+txt14.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"foo;"
+txt15.example.		3600	IN	TXT	"bar\\;"
 uri01.example.		3600	IN	URI	10 20 "https://www.isc.org/"
 uri02.example.		3600	IN	URI	30 40 "https://www.isc.org/HolyCowThisSureIsAVeryLongURIRecordIDontEvenKnowWhatSomeoneWouldEverWantWithSuchAThingButTheSpecificationRequiresThatWesupportItSoHereWeGoTestingItLaLaLaLaLaLaLaSeriouslyThoughWhyWouldYouEvenConsiderUsingAURIThisLongItSeemsLikeASillyIdeaButEnhWhatAreYouGonnaDo/"
 uri03.example.		3600	IN	URI	30 40 ""
diff --git a/lib/dns/rdata.c b/lib/dns/rdata.c
index 8ad824b118..42a966c62c 100644
--- a/lib/dns/rdata.c
+++ b/lib/dns/rdata.c
@@ -1167,12 +1167,12 @@ txt_totext(isc_region_t *source, isc_boolean_t quote, isc_buffer_t *target) {
 			continue;
 		}
 		/*
-		 * Escape double quote, semi-colon, backslash.
-		 * If we are not enclosing the string in double
-		 * quotes also escape at sign.
+		 * Escape double quote and backslash.  If we are not
+		 * enclosing the string in double quotes also escape
+		 * at sign and semicolon.
 		 */
-		if (*sp == 0x22 || *sp == 0x3b || *sp == 0x5c ||
-		    (!quote && *sp == 0x40)) {
+		if (*sp == 0x22 || *sp == 0x5c ||
+		    (!quote && (*sp == 0x40 || *sp == 0x3b))) {
 			if (tl < 2)
 				return (ISC_R_NOSPACE);
 			*tp++ = '\\';