diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index f70bdac428..4a8f776f24 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+3415.	[bug]		named could die with a REQUIRE failure id a valdation
+			was canceled. [RT #31804]
+
 3414.	[bug]		Address locking issues found by Coverity. [RT #31626]
 
 3413.	[func]		Record the number of DNS64 AAAA RRsets that have been
diff --git a/lib/dns/validator.c b/lib/dns/validator.c
index 8e41d0fdd4..f89d4c54ab 100644
--- a/lib/dns/validator.c
+++ b/lib/dns/validator.c
@@ -412,12 +412,13 @@ fetch_callback_validator(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 	if (dns_rdataset_isassociated(&val->fsigrdataset))
 		dns_rdataset_disassociate(&val->fsigrdataset);
 	isc_event_free(&event);
-	dns_resolver_destroyfetch(&val->fetch);
 
 	INSIST(val->event != NULL);
 
 	validator_log(val, ISC_LOG_DEBUG(3), "in fetch_callback_validator");
 	LOCK(&val->lock);
+	if (val->fetch != NULL)
+		dns_resolver_destroyfetch(&val->fetch);
 	if (CANCELED(val)) {
 		validator_done(val, ISC_R_CANCELED);
 	} else if (eresult == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
@@ -490,12 +491,13 @@ dsfetched(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 	if (dns_rdataset_isassociated(&val->fsigrdataset))
 		dns_rdataset_disassociate(&val->fsigrdataset);
 	isc_event_free(&event);
-	dns_resolver_destroyfetch(&val->fetch);
 
 	INSIST(val->event != NULL);
 
 	validator_log(val, ISC_LOG_DEBUG(3), "in dsfetched");
 	LOCK(&val->lock);
+	if (val->fetch != NULL)
+		dns_resolver_destroyfetch(&val->fetch);
 	if (CANCELED(val)) {
 		validator_done(val, ISC_R_CANCELED);
 	} else if (eresult == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
@@ -566,13 +568,14 @@ dsfetched2(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 		dns_db_detach(&devent->db);
 	if (dns_rdataset_isassociated(&val->fsigrdataset))
 		dns_rdataset_disassociate(&val->fsigrdataset);
-	dns_resolver_destroyfetch(&val->fetch);
 
 	INSIST(val->event != NULL);
 
 	validator_log(val, ISC_LOG_DEBUG(3), "in dsfetched2: %s",
 		      dns_result_totext(eresult));
 	LOCK(&val->lock);
+	if (val->fetch != NULL)
+		dns_resolver_destroyfetch(&val->fetch);
 	if (CANCELED(val)) {
 		validator_done(val, ISC_R_CANCELED);
 	} else if (eresult == DNS_R_CNAME ||
@@ -3392,13 +3395,14 @@ dlvfetched(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 	if (dns_rdataset_isassociated(&val->fsigrdataset))
 		dns_rdataset_disassociate(&val->fsigrdataset);
 	isc_event_free(&event);
-	dns_resolver_destroyfetch(&val->fetch);
 
 	INSIST(val->event != NULL);
 	validator_log(val, ISC_LOG_DEBUG(3), "in dlvfetched: %s",
 		      dns_result_totext(eresult));
 
 	LOCK(&val->lock);
+	if (val->fetch != NULL)
+		dns_resolver_destroyfetch(&val->fetch);
 	if (eresult == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
 		dns_name_format(dns_fixedname_name(&val->dlvsep), namebuf,
 				sizeof(namebuf));