diff --git a/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h b/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
index a5c1f0072e..c5d8e86cf7 100644
--- a/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
+++ b/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
@@ -267,8 +267,7 @@ struct ns_client {
 #define NS_CLIENTATTR_WANTPAD	   0x08000 /*%< pad reply */
 #define NS_CLIENTATTR_USEKEEPALIVE 0x10000 /*%< use TCP keepalive */
 
-#define NS_CLIENTATTR_NOSETFC	0x20000 /*%< don't set servfail cache */
-#define NS_CLIENTATTR_RECURSING 0x40000 /*%< client is recursing */
+#define NS_CLIENTATTR_NOSETFC 0x20000 /*%< don't set servfail cache */
 
 /*
  * Flag to use with the SERVFAIL cache to indicate
diff --git a/lib/ns/query.c b/lib/ns/query.c
index d87d1f8ec9..4ef38965ed 100644
--- a/lib/ns/query.c
+++ b/lib/ns/query.c
@@ -2530,6 +2530,8 @@ prefetch_done(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 	 */
 	if (client->recursionquota != NULL) {
 		isc_quota_detach(&client->recursionquota);
+		ns_stats_decrement(client->sctx->nsstats,
+				   ns_statscounter_recursclients);
 	}
 
 	free_devent(client, &event, &devent);
@@ -2557,10 +2559,15 @@ query_prefetch(ns_client_t *client, dns_name_t *qname,
 	if (client->recursionquota == NULL) {
 		result = isc_quota_attach(&client->sctx->recursionquota,
 					  &client->recursionquota);
-		if (result == ISC_R_SOFTQUOTA) {
+		switch (result) {
+		case ISC_R_SUCCESS:
+			ns_stats_increment(client->sctx->nsstats,
+					   ns_statscounter_recursclients);
+			break;
+		case ISC_R_SOFTQUOTA:
 			isc_quota_detach(&client->recursionquota);
-		}
-		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
+			/* FALLTHROUGH */
+		default:
 			return;
 		}
 	}
@@ -2770,10 +2777,15 @@ query_rpzfetch(ns_client_t *client, dns_name_t *qname, dns_rdatatype_t type) {
 	if (client->recursionquota == NULL) {
 		result = isc_quota_attach(&client->sctx->recursionquota,
 					  &client->recursionquota);
-		if (result == ISC_R_SOFTQUOTA) {
+		switch (result) {
+		case ISC_R_SUCCESS:
+			ns_stats_increment(client->sctx->nsstats,
+					   ns_statscounter_recursclients);
+			break;
+		case ISC_R_SOFTQUOTA:
 			isc_quota_detach(&client->recursionquota);
-		}
-		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
+			/* FALLTHROUGH */
+		default:
 			return;
 		}
 	}
@@ -6185,15 +6197,6 @@ fetch_callback(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 		isc_quota_detach(&client->recursionquota);
 		ns_stats_decrement(client->sctx->nsstats,
 				   ns_statscounter_recursclients);
-	} else if (client->attributes & NS_CLIENTATTR_RECURSING) {
-		client->attributes &= ~NS_CLIENTATTR_RECURSING;
-		/*
-		 * Detached from recursionquota via prefetch_done(),
-		 * but need to decrement recursive client stats here anyway,
-		 * since it was incremented in ns_query_recurse().
-		 */
-		ns_stats_decrement(client->sctx->nsstats,
-				   ns_statscounter_recursclients);
 	}
 
 	LOCK(&client->manager->reclock);
@@ -6332,7 +6335,6 @@ check_recursionquota(ns_client_t *client) {
 		if (result == ISC_R_SUCCESS || result == ISC_R_SOFTQUOTA) {
 			ns_stats_increment(client->sctx->nsstats,
 					   ns_statscounter_recursclients);
-			client->attributes |= NS_CLIENTATTR_RECURSING;
 		}
 
 		if (result == ISC_R_SOFTQUOTA) {
@@ -6381,18 +6383,6 @@ check_recursionquota(ns_client_t *client) {
 
 		dns_message_clonebuffer(client->message);
 		ns_client_recursing(client);
-	} else if ((client->attributes & NS_CLIENTATTR_RECURSING) == 0) {
-		client->attributes |= NS_CLIENTATTR_RECURSING;
-		/*
-		 * query_prefetch() attached first to client->recursionquota,
-		 * but we must check if NS_CLIENTATTR_RECURSING attribute is
-		 * on, if not then turn it on and increment recursing clients
-		 * stats counter only once. The attribute is also checked in
-		 * fetch_callback() to know if a matching decrement to this
-		 * counter should be applied.
-		 */
-		ns_stats_increment(client->sctx->nsstats,
-				   ns_statscounter_recursclients);
 	}
 
 	return (result);