diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index b7231456af..6b0eb09f0d 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+3296.	[bug]		Named could die with a INSIST failure in
+			client.c:exit_check. [RT #28346]
+
 3295.	[bug]		Adjust isc_time_secondsastimet range check to be more
 			portable. [RT # 26542]
 
diff --git a/bin/named/client.c b/bin/named/client.c
index 2f4130c5ae..ae13795f01 100644
--- a/bin/named/client.c
+++ b/bin/named/client.c
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ ns_client_recursing(ns_client_t *client) {
 	REQUIRE(client->state == NS_CLIENTSTATE_WORKING);
 
 	LOCK(&client->manager->reclock);
-	client->state = NS_CLIENTSTATE_RECURSING;
+	client->newstate = client->state = NS_CLIENTSTATE_RECURSING;
 	ISC_LIST_APPEND(client->manager->recursing, client, rlink);
 	UNLOCK(&client->manager->reclock);
 }