diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/name.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/name.h
index cf452104e0..07265f5ae5 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/name.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/name.h
@@ -772,7 +772,8 @@ dns_name_towire(const dns_name_t *name, dns_compress_t *cctx,
 		isc_buffer_t *target);
 /*%<
  * Convert 'name' into wire format, compressing it as specified by the
- * compression context 'cctx', and storing the result in 'target'.
+ * compression context 'cctx' (or leaving it uncompressed if 'cctx' is
+ * NULL), and storing the result in 'target'.
  *
  * Notes:
  * \li	If compression is permitted, then the cctx table may be updated.
diff --git a/lib/dns/name.c b/lib/dns/name.c
index 2641b536ac..ba6e5693e6 100644
--- a/lib/dns/name.c
+++ b/lib/dns/name.c
@@ -1453,13 +1453,22 @@ dns_name_towire(const dns_name_t *name, dns_compress_t *cctx,
 
 	/*
 	 * Convert 'name' into wire format, compressing it as specified by the
-	 * compression context 'cctx', and storing the result in 'target'.
+	 * compression context 'cctx' (or without compressing if 'cctx'
+	 * is NULL), and storing the result in 'target'.
 	 */
 
 	REQUIRE(DNS_NAME_VALID(name));
-	REQUIRE(cctx != NULL);
 	REQUIRE(ISC_BUFFER_VALID(target));
 
+	if (cctx == NULL) {
+		if (isc_buffer_availablelength(target) < name->length) {
+			return ISC_R_NOSPACE;
+		}
+		memmove(isc_buffer_used(target), name->ndata, name->length);
+		isc_buffer_add(target, name->length);
+		return ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+	}
+
 	compress = !name->attributes.nocompress &&
 		   dns_compress_getpermitted(cctx);
 	multi = compress && dns_compress_getmultiuse(cctx);
diff --git a/tests/dns/name_test.c b/tests/dns/name_test.c
index 0b39ba2fe5..d598447ad3 100644
--- a/tests/dns/name_test.c
+++ b/tests/dns/name_test.c
@@ -158,17 +158,23 @@ compress_test(const dns_name_t *name1, const dns_name_t *name2,
 				 ISC_R_SUCCESS);
 	} else {
 		/* Owner name compression */
-		dns_compress_setmultiuse(cctx, true);
+		if (cctx != NULL) {
+			dns_compress_setmultiuse(cctx, true);
+		}
 		assert_int_equal(dns_name_towire(name1, cctx, &source),
 				 ISC_R_SUCCESS);
 
-		dns_compress_setmultiuse(cctx, true);
+		if (cctx != NULL) {
+			dns_compress_setmultiuse(cctx, true);
+		}
 		assert_int_equal(dns_name_towire(name2, cctx, &source),
 				 ISC_R_SUCCESS);
 		assert_int_equal(dns_name_towire(name2, cctx, &source),
 				 ISC_R_SUCCESS);
 
-		dns_compress_setmultiuse(cctx, true);
+		if (cctx != NULL) {
+			dns_compress_setmultiuse(cctx, true);
+		}
 		assert_int_equal(dns_name_towire(name3, cctx, &source),
 				 ISC_R_SUCCESS);
 	}
@@ -254,6 +260,12 @@ ISC_RUN_TEST_IMPL(compression) {
 	r.length = sizeof(plain3);
 	dns_name_fromregion(&name4, &r);
 
+	/* Test 0: no compression context */
+	compress_test(&name1, &name2, &name3, plain, sizeof(plain), plain,
+		      sizeof(plain), NULL, DNS_DECOMPRESS_NEVER, true);
+	compress_test(&name1, &name2, &name3, plain, sizeof(plain), plain,
+		      sizeof(plain), NULL, DNS_DECOMPRESS_NEVER, false);
+
 	/* Test 1: off, rdata */
 	permitted = false;
 	dns_compress_init(&cctx, mctx, 0);