diff --git a/bin/tools/named-makejournal.c b/bin/tools/named-makejournal.c
index d67c970be9..2c974dc078 100644
--- a/bin/tools/named-makejournal.c
+++ b/bin/tools/named-makejournal.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <isc/log.h>
 #include <isc/mem.h>
 #include <isc/result.h>
+#include <isc/serial.h>
 #include <isc/util.h>
 
 #include <dns/db.h>
@@ -67,6 +68,48 @@ loadzone(dns_db_t **db, const char *origin, const char *filename) {
 	return result;
 }
 
+static isc_result_t
+loadjournal(dns_db_t *db, const char *file) {
+	dns_journal_t *jnl = NULL;
+	isc_result_t result;
+
+	result = dns_journal_open(mctx, file, DNS_JOURNAL_READ, &jnl);
+	if (result == ISC_R_NOTFOUND) {
+		return ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+	} else if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error: unable to open journal %s: %s\n", file,
+			isc_result_totext(result));
+		return result;
+	}
+
+	if (dns_journal_empty(jnl)) {
+		dns_journal_destroy(&jnl);
+		return ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+	}
+
+	result = dns_journal_rollforward(jnl, db, 0);
+	switch (result) {
+	case ISC_R_SUCCESS:
+		break;
+	case DNS_R_UPTODATE:
+		result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+		break;
+
+	case ISC_R_NOTFOUND:
+	case ISC_R_RANGE:
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error: journal %s out of sync with zone",
+			file);
+		break;
+
+	default:
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error: journal %s: %s\n", file,
+			isc_result_totext(result));
+	}
+
+	dns_journal_destroy(&jnl);
+	return result;
+}
+
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	isc_result_t result;
@@ -75,6 +118,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	const char *journal = NULL;
 	dns_db_t *olddb = NULL, *newdb = NULL;
 	isc_logconfig_t *logconfig = NULL;
+	uint32_t s1, s2, s3;
 	int ch;
 
 	isc_commandline_init(argc, argv);
@@ -130,22 +174,35 @@ main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
-	uint32_t s1, s2;
 	result = dns_db_getsoaserial(olddb, NULL, &s1);
 	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Error: no SOA found in %s\n", file1);
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error: %s: SOA lookup failed\n", file1);
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
-	result = dns_db_getsoaserial(newdb, NULL, &s2);
+
+	result = loadjournal(olddb, journal);
 	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Error: no SOA found in %s\n", file2);
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
-	if (s1 == s2) {
+
+	result = dns_db_getsoaserial(olddb, NULL, &s2);
+	RUNTIME_CHECK(result == ISC_R_SUCCESS);
+
+	result = dns_db_getsoaserial(newdb, NULL, &s3);
+	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error: %s: SOA lookup failed\n", file2);
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
+
+	if (isc_serial_eq(s1, s3)) {
 		fprintf(stderr,
 			"Error: SOA serial (%u) unchanged between files\n", s1);
 		result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
 		goto cleanup;
+	} else if (isc_serial_eq(s2, s3)) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Journal %s already has serial %u\n", journal,
+			s3);
+		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
 	result = dns_db_diff(mctx, newdb, NULL, olddb, NULL, journal);
@@ -166,5 +223,5 @@ cleanup:
 		isc_mem_detach(&mctx);
 	}
 
-	return result != ISC_R_SUCCESS ? 1 : 0;
+	return (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) ? 1 : 0;
 }
diff --git a/bin/tools/named-makejournal.rst b/bin/tools/named-makejournal.rst
index 1a39a4d8f2..1724d0bfb4 100644
--- a/bin/tools/named-makejournal.rst
+++ b/bin/tools/named-makejournal.rst
@@ -40,10 +40,12 @@ If the optional argument ``journal`` is not specified, then the journal
 file name will be formed by appending the extension ``.jnl`` to the
 zone file name specified as ``oldfile``.
 
-If the journal file already exists, a new transaction will be appended
-onto the end of it. (Note, however, that the most recent serial number in
-the existing journal file must match the serial number in ``oldfile``.
-This will be corrected later.)
+If the journal file already exists, then it will be applied to ``oldfile``
+immediately after loading. The difference between the resulting zone and
+the one in ``newfile`` will then be appended onto the end of the journal.
+This allows creation of journal files with multiple transactions, by
+running ``named-makejournal`` multiple times, updating ``newfile`` each
+time.
 
 Options
 ~~~~~~~