diff --git a/lib/dns/nsec3.c b/lib/dns/nsec3.c
index b0688139f5..95454df9de 100644
--- a/lib/dns/nsec3.c
+++ b/lib/dns/nsec3.c
@@ -1440,7 +1440,7 @@ dns_nsec3_delnsec3(dns_db_t *db, dns_dbversion_t *version,
 
 	result = dns_dbiterator_seek(dbit, hashname);
 	if (result == ISC_R_NOTFOUND || result == DNS_R_PARTIALMATCH) {
-		goto success;
+		goto cleanup_orphaned_ents;
 	}
 	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
 		goto failure;
@@ -1452,7 +1452,7 @@ dns_nsec3_delnsec3(dns_db_t *db, dns_dbversion_t *version,
 				     (isc_stdtime_t)0, &rdataset, NULL);
 	dns_db_detachnode(db, &node);
 	if (result == ISC_R_NOTFOUND) {
-		goto success;
+		goto cleanup_orphaned_ents;
 	}
 	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
 		goto failure;
@@ -1537,6 +1537,7 @@ dns_nsec3_delnsec3(dns_db_t *db, dns_dbversion_t *version,
 	/*
 	 *  Delete NSEC3 records for now non active nodes.
 	 */
+cleanup_orphaned_ents:
 	dns_name_init(&empty, NULL);
 	dns_name_clone(name, &empty);
 	do {