diff --git a/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/named2.conf.in b/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/named2.conf.in
index ece1549395..5c1094e276 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/named2.conf.in
+++ b/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/named2.conf.in
@@ -117,3 +117,11 @@ zone "nsec3-to-nsec.kasp" {
 	//dnssec-policy "nsec3";
 	dnssec-policy "nsec";
 };
+
+/* Add a zone that fails to load, should not prevent shutdown. */
+zone "nsec3-fails-to-load.kasp" {
+	type primary;
+	file "nsec3-fails-to-load.kasp.db";
+	dnssec-policy "nsec3";
+	allow-update { any; };
+};
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/nsec3-fails-to-load.kasp.db.in b/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/nsec3-fails-to-load.kasp.db.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5703d810d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/nsec3-fails-to-load.kasp.db.in
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+@			IN SOA  kasp. nsec3-fails-to-load.kasp. (
+                                1          ; serial
+                                30         ; refresh (30 seconds)
+                                10         ; retry (10 seconds)
+                                3600000    ; expire (5 weeks 6 days 16 hours)
+                                300        ; minimum (5 minutes)
+                                )
+                        NS      nsec3-fails-to-load.kasp.
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/setup.sh b/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/setup.sh
index 4b529d33d9..ffedec558f 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/setup.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/nsec3/ns3/setup.sh
@@ -27,3 +27,5 @@ for zn in nsec-to-nsec3 nsec3 nsec3-other nsec3-change nsec3-to-nsec \
 do
 	setup "${zn}.kasp"
 done
+
+cp nsec3-fails-to-load.kasp.db.in nsec3-fails-to-load.kasp.db