diff --git a/lib/dns/message.c b/lib/dns/message.c
index db2090aaad..992f025792 100644
--- a/lib/dns/message.c
+++ b/lib/dns/message.c
@@ -1253,17 +1253,21 @@ getsection(isc_buffer_t *source, dns_message_t *msg, dns_decompress_t dctx,
 	bool best_effort = ((options & DNS_MESSAGEPARSE_BESTEFFORT) != 0);
 	bool isedns, issigzero, istsig;
 	
-	if (msg->counts[sectionid] == 0) {
+	isc_lhashmap_t name_map;
+	isc_lhashmap_t name_rdtype_map;
+	
+	size_t section_count = msg->counts[sectionid];
+	if (section_count == 0) {
 		return ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+	} else if (section_count >= 2) {
+		char* lhashmap_buffer = thread_local_name_buffer();
+		name_map = isc_lhashmap_init(section_count, sizeof(dns_name_t*), lhashmap_buffer, name_hash, name_match);
+		
+		char* lhashmap_rd_buffer = thread_local_rd_buffer();
+		name_rdtype_map = isc_lhashmap_init(section_count, sizeof(name_and_rdtype_t), lhashmap_rd_buffer, name_and_rdtype_hash, name_and_rdtype_match);
 	}
 
-	char* lhashmap_buffer = thread_local_name_buffer();
-	isc_lhashmap_t name_map = isc_lhashmap_init(msg->counts[sectionid], sizeof(dns_name_t*), lhashmap_buffer, name_hash, name_match);
-	
-	char* lhashmap_rd_buffer = thread_local_rd_buffer();
-	isc_lhashmap_t name_rdtype_map = isc_lhashmap_init(msg->counts[sectionid], sizeof(name_and_rdtype_t), lhashmap_rd_buffer, name_and_rdtype_hash, name_and_rdtype_match);
-
-	for (count = 0; count < msg->counts[sectionid]; count++) {
+	for (count = 0; count < section_count; count++) {
 		int recstart = source->current;
 		bool skip_name_search, skip_type_search;
 
@@ -1499,7 +1503,7 @@ getsection(isc_buffer_t *source, dns_message_t *msg, dns_decompress_t dctx,
 		 * to the end of the message.
 		 */
 		if (preserve_order || msg->opcode == dns_opcode_update ||
-		    skip_name_search)
+		    skip_name_search || section_count <= 1)
 		{
 			if (!isedns && !istsig && !issigzero) {
 				ISC_LIST_APPEND(*section, name, link);
@@ -1546,6 +1550,18 @@ getsection(isc_buffer_t *source, dns_message_t *msg, dns_decompress_t dctx,
 		{
 			result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
 
+			ISC_LIST_APPEND(name->list, rdataset, link);
+		} else if (section_count <= 1) {
+			/*
+			 * If this is a type that can only occur in
+			 * the question section, fail.
+			 */
+			if (dns_rdatatype_questiononly(rdtype)) {
+				DO_ERROR(DNS_R_FORMERR);
+			}
+			
+			result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+
 			ISC_LIST_APPEND(name->list, rdataset, link);
 		} else {
 			/*