diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/rbt.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/rbt.h
index f0235141b5..c75ed4850f 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/rbt.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/rbt.h
@@ -97,12 +97,9 @@ struct dns_rbtnode {
 	unsigned int namelen	   : 8; /*%< range is 1..255 */
 	unsigned int offsetlen	   : 8; /*%< range is 1..128 */
 	unsigned int oldnamelen	   : 8; /*%< range is 1..255 */
+	unsigned int		   : 0; /* end of bitfields c/o tree lock */
 	/*@}*/
 
-	/* node needs to be cleaned from rpz */
-	unsigned int rpz : 1;
-	unsigned int	 : 0; /* end of bitfields c/o tree lock */
-
 	/*%
 	 * These are needed for hashing. The 'uppernode' points to the
 	 * node's superdomain node in the parent subtree, so that it can
diff --git a/lib/dns/rbt.c b/lib/dns/rbt.c
index d2cec5a935..77ab08b14e 100644
--- a/lib/dns/rbt.c
+++ b/lib/dns/rbt.c
@@ -1513,7 +1513,6 @@ create_node(isc_mem_t *mctx, const dns_name_t *name, dns_rbtnode_t **nodep) {
 	node->left = NULL;
 	node->down = NULL;
 	node->data = NULL;
-	node->rpz = 0;
 
 	node->hashnext = NULL;
 	node->hashval = 0;