diff --git a/bin/named/server.c b/bin/named/server.c
index 2cb6ba991b..ad472112e2 100644
--- a/bin/named/server.c
+++ b/bin/named/server.c
@@ -14113,6 +14113,7 @@ do_modzone(named_server_t *server, ns_cfgctx_t *cfg, dns_view_t *view,
 	dns_zone_t *zone = NULL;
 	bool added;
 	bool locked = false;
+	const cfg_obj_t *options = NULL;
 #ifndef HAVE_LMDB
 	FILE *fp = NULL;
 	cfg_obj_t *z;
@@ -14220,17 +14221,13 @@ do_modzone(named_server_t *server, ns_cfgctx_t *cfg, dns_view_t *view,
 
 	if (!added) {
 		if (cfg->vconfig == NULL) {
-			result = delete_zoneconf(
-				view, cfg->conf_parser, cfg->config,
-				dns_zone_getorigin(zone), NULL, locked);
+			options = cfg->config;
 		} else {
-			const cfg_obj_t *voptions = cfg_tuple_get(cfg->vconfig,
-								  "options");
-			result = delete_zoneconf(
-				view, cfg->conf_parser, voptions,
-				dns_zone_getorigin(zone), NULL, locked);
+			options = cfg_tuple_get(cfg->vconfig, "options");
 		}
-
+		result = delete_zoneconf(view, cfg->conf_parser, options,
+					 dns_zone_getorigin(zone), NULL,
+					 locked);
 		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
 			TCHECK(putstr(text, "former zone configuration "
 					    "not deleted: "));
@@ -14277,8 +14274,11 @@ do_modzone(named_server_t *server, ns_cfgctx_t *cfg, dns_view_t *view,
 
 #ifndef HAVE_LMDB
 	/* Store the new zone configuration; also in NZF if applicable */
-	z = UNCONST(zoneobj);
-	CHECK(cfg_parser_mapadd(cfg->add_parser, cfg->nzf_config, z, "zone"));
+	if (cfg->nzf_config != NULL) {
+		z = UNCONST(zoneobj);
+		CHECK(cfg_parser_mapadd(cfg->add_parser, cfg->nzf_config, z,
+					"zone"));
+	}
 #endif /* HAVE_LMDB */
 
 	if (added) {
@@ -14298,17 +14298,8 @@ do_modzone(named_server_t *server, ns_cfgctx_t *cfg, dns_view_t *view,
 		TCHECK(putstr(text, zname));
 		TCHECK(putstr(text, "' reconfigured."));
 	} else {
-#ifdef HAVE_LMDB
-		CHECK(nzd_open(view, 0, &txn, &dbi));
-		CHECK(nzd_save(&txn, dbi, zone, zoneobj));
-#else  /* ifdef HAVE_LMDB */
-		result = nzf_append(view, zoneobj);
-		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-			TCHECK(putstr(text, "\nNew zone config not saved: "));
-			TCHECK(putstr(text, isc_result_totext(result)));
-			goto cleanup;
-		}
-#endif /* HAVE_LMDB */
+		CHECK(cfg_parser_mapadd(cfg->conf_parser, UNCONST(options),
+					UNCONST(zoneobj), "zone"));
 
 		TCHECK(putstr(text, "zone '"));
 		TCHECK(putstr(text, zname));
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/addzone/tests_rndc_modzone_without_add.py b/bin/tests/system/addzone/tests_rndc_modzone_without_add.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b2a7335625
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/tests/system/addzone/tests_rndc_modzone_without_add.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+#
+# This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+# License, v. 2.0.  If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+# file, you can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+#
+# See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
+# information regarding copyright ownership.
+
+import pytest
+
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.extra_artifacts(
+    [
+        "ns*/*.nzf*",
+        "ns*/*.nzd*",
+        "ns1/redirect.db",
+        "ns2/new-zones",
+        "ns2/redirect.db",
+        "ns3/redirect.db",
+    ]
+)
+
+
+def test_rndc_modzone_without_add(ns3):
+    """
+    Confirm "rndc modzone" works for a zone that was not added by "addzone".
+    """
+    # We begin with a zone that has a normal configuration, and then modify it
+    # by rndc modzone. This should succeed and shouldn't cause any disruption.
+    # Previously, it triggered an assertion failure unless LMDB was enabled.
+    cmd = ns3.rndc(
+        'modzone . {type primary; file "redirect.db"; allow-query {none;};};',
+        raise_on_exception=False,
+    )
+    assert cmd.rc == 0
+
+    # Confirm that the modzone took effect in 'rndc showzone'.
+    cmd = ns3.rndc("showzone .", raise_on_exception=False)
+    assert cmd.rc == 0
+    assert 'allow-query { "none"; }' in cmd.out
+
+    # Confirm that 'rndc modzone' still works after the first modzone.
+    # This was not the case before as the zone config was incorrectly
+    # removed in-memory after the first modzone.
+    cmd = ns3.rndc(
+        'modzone . {type primary; file "redirect.db"; allow-query {any;};};',
+        raise_on_exception=False,
+    )
+    assert cmd.rc == 0
+
+    # Confirm that the second modzone took effect in 'rndc showzone'.
+    cmd = ns3.rndc("showzone .", raise_on_exception=False)
+    assert cmd.rc == 0
+    assert 'allow-query { "any"; }' in cmd.out