diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 96d364222a..72dcf4674a 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+ 977.	[bug]		Improve "not at top of zone" error message.
+
  976.	[func]		named-checkconf will now test load master zone
 			files (-z).  [RT #1468]
 
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/master.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/master.h
index a2b2979b97..2e9f5ed529 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/master.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/master.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-/* $Id: master.h,v 1.31 2001/02/01 21:29:35 marka Exp $ */
+/* $Id: master.h,v 1.32 2001/09/04 00:35:19 marka Exp $ */
 
 #ifndef DNS_MASTER_H
 #define DNS_MASTER_H 1
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #define	DNS_MASTER_AGETTL 	0x00000001	/* Age the ttl based on $DATE. */
 #define DNS_MASTER_MANYERRORS 	0x00000002	/* Continue processing on errors. */
 #define DNS_MASTER_NOINCLUDE 	0x00000004	/* Disallow $INCLUDE directives. */
+#define DNS_MASTER_ZONE 	0x00000008	/* Loading a zone master file. */
 
 ISC_LANG_BEGINDECLS
 
diff --git a/lib/dns/master.c b/lib/dns/master.c
index ee9ace5d62..6c10199820 100644
--- a/lib/dns/master.c
+++ b/lib/dns/master.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-/* $Id: master.c,v 1.122 2001/08/28 03:58:05 marka Exp $ */
+/* $Id: master.c,v 1.123 2001/09/04 00:35:17 marka Exp $ */
 
 #include <config.h>
 
@@ -1396,6 +1396,27 @@ load(dns_loadctx_t *lctx) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
+		if (type == dns_rdatatype_soa &&
+		    (lctx->options & DNS_MASTER_ZONE) != 0 &&
+		    dns_name_compare(ictx->current, lctx->top) != 0) {
+			char namebuf[DNS_NAME_FORMATSIZE];
+			dns_name_format(ictx->current, namebuf,
+					sizeof(namebuf));
+			(*callbacks->error)(callbacks,
+				            "dns_master_load: %s:%lu: SOA "
+			                    "record not at top of zone (%s)",
+				            source, line, namebuf);
+			result = DNS_R_NOTZONETOP;
+			if (MANYERRS(lctx, result)) {
+				SETRESULT(lctx, result);
+				read_till_eol = ISC_TRUE;
+				target = target_ft;
+				continue;
+			} else if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
+				goto insist_and_cleanup;
+		}
+
+
 		if (type == dns_rdatatype_sig)
 			covers = dns_rdata_covers(&rdata[rdcount]);
 		else
diff --git a/lib/dns/zone.c b/lib/dns/zone.c
index b287a7cb9b..081ac8a3a9 100644
--- a/lib/dns/zone.c
+++ b/lib/dns/zone.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-/* $Id: zone.c,v 1.339 2001/09/03 01:21:19 marka Exp $ */
+/* $Id: zone.c,v 1.340 2001/09/04 00:35:15 marka Exp $ */
 
 #include <config.h>
 
@@ -1036,7 +1036,8 @@ zone_gotreadhandle(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 	result = dns_master_loadfileinc(load->zone->masterfile,
 					dns_db_origin(load->db),
 					dns_db_origin(load->db),
-					load->zone->rdclass, 0,
+					load->zone->rdclass,
+					DNS_MASTER_ZONE,
 					&load->callbacks, task,
 					zone_loaddone, load,
 					&load->zone->lctx, load->zone->mctx);
@@ -1087,16 +1088,17 @@ zone_startload(dns_db_t *db, dns_zone_t *zone, isc_time_t loadtime) {
 			result = DNS_R_CONTINUE;
 	} else if (DNS_ZONE_OPTION(zone, DNS_ZONEOPT_MANYERRORS)) {
 		dns_rdatacallbacks_t    callbacks;
+		unsigned int options;
 
 		dns_rdatacallbacks_init(&callbacks);
 		result = dns_db_beginload(db, &callbacks.add,
 					  &callbacks.add_private);
 		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
 			return (result);
+		options = DNS_MASTER_MANYERRORS|DNS_MASTER_ZONE;
 		result = dns_master_loadfile(zone->masterfile, &zone->origin,
 					     &zone->origin, zone->rdclass,
-					     DNS_MASTER_MANYERRORS,
-					     &callbacks, zone->mctx);
+					     options, &callbacks, zone->mctx);
 		tresult = dns_db_endload(db, &callbacks.add_private);
 		if (result == ISC_R_SUCCESS)
 			result = tresult;