diff --git a/bin/named/control.c b/bin/named/control.c
index a1a66a4eb3..a99ce1b850 100644
--- a/bin/named/control.c
+++ b/bin/named/control.c
@@ -214,8 +214,7 @@ named_control_docommand(isccc_sexpr_t *message, bool readonly,
 	{
 		result = named_server_dnstap(named_g_server, lex, text);
 	} else if (command_compare(command, NAMED_COMMAND_DUMPDB)) {
-		named_server_dumpdb(named_g_server, lex, text);
-		result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+		result = named_server_dumpdb(named_g_server, lex, text);
 	} else if (command_compare(command, NAMED_COMMAND_DUMPSTATS)) {
 		result = named_server_dumpstats(named_g_server);
 	} else if (command_compare(command, NAMED_COMMAND_FETCHLIMIT)) {
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/rndc/clean.sh b/bin/tests/system/rndc/clean.sh
index 6b4f2fd894..3b959f5a9f 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/rndc/clean.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/rndc/clean.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ rm -f ns*/named.conf
 rm -f ns*/named.memstats
 rm -f ns*/named.run ns*/named.run.prev
 rm -f ns2/named.stats
+rm -f ns2/named_dump.db*
 rm -f ns2/nil.db ns2/other.db ns2/static.db ns2/*.jnl
 rm -f ns2/secondkey.conf
 rm -f ns2/session.key
@@ -29,5 +30,7 @@ rm -f ns6/huge.zone.db
 rm -f ns7/include.db ns7/test.db ns7/*.jnl
 rm -f ns7/named_dump.db*
 rm -f nsupdate.out.*.test*
+rm -f nsupdate.out.test*
 rm -f python.out.*.test*
 rm -f rndc.out.*.test*
+rm -f rndc.out.test*
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/rndc/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/rndc/tests.sh
index ee9bd1c6b5..81f05a8cc7 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/rndc/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/rndc/tests.sh
@@ -324,6 +324,16 @@ $RNDC -s 10.53.0.2 -p ${CONTROLPORT} -c ns2/secondkey.conf status >/dev/null ||
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=$((status + ret))
 
+n=$((n + 1))
+echo_i "test 'rndc dumpdb' with an unwritable dump-file ($n)"
+ret=0
+touch ns2/named_dump.db
+chmod -w ns2/named_dump.db
+rndc_dumpdb ns2 2>/dev/null && ret=1
+grep -F "failed: permission denied" "rndc.out.test$n" >/dev/null || ret=1
+if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
+status=$((status + ret))
+
 n=$((n + 1))
 echo_i "test 'rndc dumpdb' on a empty cache ($n)"
 ret=0