diff --git a/bin/tests/system/digdelv/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/digdelv/tests.sh
index 9dfd9de475..b0f655b739 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/digdelv/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/digdelv/tests.sh
@@ -109,19 +109,19 @@ if [ -x "$DIG" ] ; then
   status=$((status+ret))
 
   n=$((n+1))
-  echo_i "checking dig +multi +norrcomments works for dnskey (when default is rrcomments)($n)"
+  echo_i "checking dig +multi +norrcomments works for DNSKEY (when default is rrcomments)($n)"
   ret=0
-  dig_with_opts +tcp @10.53.0.3 +multi +norrcomments DNSKEY dnskey.example > dig.out.test$n || ret=1
-  grep "; ZSK; alg = $DEFAULT_ALGORITHM ; key id = $KEYID" < dig.out.test$n > /dev/null && ret=1
+  dig_with_opts +tcp @10.53.0.3 +multi +norrcomments -t DNSKEY dnskey.example > dig.out.test$n || ret=1
+  grep "; ZSK; alg = $DEFAULT_ALGORITHM ; key id = $KEYID" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null && ret=1
   check_ttl_range dig.out.test$n "DNSKEY" 300 || ret=1
   if [ $ret -ne 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
   status=$((status+ret))
 
   n=$((n+1))
-  echo_i "checking dig +multi +norrcomments works for soa (when default is rrcomments)($n)"
+  echo_i "checking dig +multi +norrcomments works for SOA (when default is rrcomments)($n)"
   ret=0
-  dig_with_opts +tcp @10.53.0.3 +multi +norrcomments SOA example > dig.out.test$n || ret=1
-  grep "; ZSK; alg = $DEFAULT_ALGORITHM ; key id = $KEYID" < dig.out.test$n > /dev/null && ret=1
+  dig_with_opts +tcp @10.53.0.3 +multi +norrcomments -t SOA example > dig.out.test$n || ret=1
+  grep "; serial" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null && ret=1
   check_ttl_range dig.out.test$n "SOA" 300 || ret=1
   if [ $ret -ne 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
   status=$((status+ret))
@@ -728,6 +728,22 @@ if [ -x "$MDIG" ] ; then
   grep "ednsopt no code point specified" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null || ret=1
   if [ $ret -ne 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
   status=$((status+ret))
+
+  n=$((n+1))
+  echo_i "checking mdig +multi +norrcomments works for DNSKEY (when default is rrcomments)($n)"
+  ret=0
+  mdig_with_opts +tcp @10.53.0.3 +multi +norrcomments -t DNSKEY dnskey.example > dig.out.test$n || ret=1
+  grep "; ZSK; alg = $DEFAULT_ALGORITHM ; key id = $KEYID" dig.out.test$n && ret=1
+  if [ $ret -ne 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
+  status=$((status+ret))
+
+  n=$((n+1))
+  echo_i "checking mdig +multi +norrcomments works for SOA (when default is rrcomments)($n)"
+  ret=0
+  mdig_with_opts +tcp @10.53.0.3 +multi +norrcomments -t SOA example > dig.out.test$n || ret=1
+  grep "; serial" < dig.out.test$n > /dev/null && ret=1
+  if [ $ret -ne 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
+  status=$((status+ret))
 else
   echo_i "$MDIG is needed, so skipping these mdig tests"
 fi
@@ -823,7 +839,7 @@ if [ -x "$DELV" ] ; then
   status=$((status+ret))
 
   n=$((n+1))
-  echo_i "checking delv +multi +norrcomments works for dnskey (when default is rrcomments)($n)"
+  echo_i "checking delv +multi +norrcomments works for DNSKEY (when default is rrcomments)($n)"
   ret=0
   delv_with_opts +tcp @10.53.0.3 +multi +norrcomments DNSKEY dnskey.example > delv.out.test$n || ret=1
   grep "; ZSK; alg = $DEFAULT_ALGORITHM ; key id = $KEYID" < delv.out.test$n > /dev/null && ret=1
@@ -832,7 +848,7 @@ if [ -x "$DELV" ] ; then
   status=$((status+ret))
 
   n=$((n+1))
-  echo_i "checking delv +multi +norrcomments works for soa (when default is rrcomments)($n)"
+  echo_i "checking delv +multi +norrcomments works for SOA (when default is rrcomments)($n)"
   ret=0
   delv_with_opts +tcp @10.53.0.3 +multi +norrcomments SOA example > delv.out.test$n || ret=1
   grep "; ZSK; alg = $DEFAULT_ALGORITHM ; key id = $KEYID" < delv.out.test$n > /dev/null && ret=1
diff --git a/bin/tools/mdig.c b/bin/tools/mdig.c
index 3c065af7b8..0b796d1717 100644
--- a/bin/tools/mdig.c
+++ b/bin/tools/mdig.c
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ static bool besteffort = true;
 static bool display_short_form = false;
 static bool display_headers = true;
 static bool display_comments = true;
-static bool display_rrcomments = true;
+static int display_rrcomments = 0;
 static bool display_ttlunits = true;
 static bool display_ttl = true;
 static bool display_class = true;
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ recvresponse(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 		styleflags |= DNS_STYLEFLAG_COMMENT;
 	if (display_unknown_format)
 		styleflags |= DNS_STYLEFLAG_UNKNOWNFORMAT;
-	if (display_rrcomments)
+	if (display_rrcomments > 0)
 		styleflags |= DNS_STYLEFLAG_RRCOMMENT;
 	if (display_ttlunits)
 		styleflags |= DNS_STYLEFLAG_TTL_UNITS;
@@ -265,7 +265,10 @@ recvresponse(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 		styleflags |= DNS_STYLEFLAG_TTL;
 		styleflags |= DNS_STYLEFLAG_MULTILINE;
 		styleflags |= DNS_STYLEFLAG_COMMENT;
-		styleflags |= DNS_STYLEFLAG_RRCOMMENT;
+		/* Turn on rrcomments unless explicitly disabled */
+		if (display_rrcomments >= 0) {
+			styleflags |= DNS_STYLEFLAG_RRCOMMENT;
+		}
 	}
 	if (display_multiline || (!display_ttl && !display_class))
 		result = dns_master_stylecreate(&style, styleflags,
@@ -1100,7 +1103,7 @@ plus_option(char *option, struct query *query, bool global)
 			display_authority = state;
 			display_additional = state;
 			display_comments = state;
-			display_rrcomments = state;
+			display_rrcomments = state ? 1 : -1;
 			break;
 		case 'n': /* answer */
 			FULLCHECK("answer");
@@ -1349,7 +1352,7 @@ plus_option(char *option, struct query *query, bool global)
 		case 'r':
 			FULLCHECK("rrcomments");
 			GLOBAL();
-			display_rrcomments = state;
+			display_rrcomments = state ? 1 : -1;
 			break;
 		default:
 			goto invalid_option;
@@ -1367,7 +1370,7 @@ plus_option(char *option, struct query *query, bool global)
 				display_authority = false;
 				display_additional = false;
 				display_comments = false;
-				display_rrcomments = false;
+				display_rrcomments = -1;
 			}
 			break;
 		case 'p': /* split */