diff --git a/bin/named/config.c b/bin/named/config.c
index 76fc72eca9..b11e0c9df6 100644
--- a/bin/named/config.c
+++ b/bin/named/config.c
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@ options {\n\
 	root-key-sentinel yes;\n\
 	servfail-ttl 1;\n\
 #	sortlist <none>\n\
-	stale-answer-enable false;\n\
 	stale-answer-client-timeout off;\n\
+	stale-answer-enable false;\n\
 	stale-answer-ttl 30; /* 30 seconds */\n\
 	stale-cache-enable false;\n\
 	stale-refresh-time 30; /* 30 seconds */\n\
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/tests.sh
index 4a83e35ac6..b17d5363a4 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/serve-stale/tests.sh
@@ -1647,9 +1647,11 @@ status=$((status+ret))
 sleep 2
 
 echo_i "sending queries for tests $((n+1))-$((n+2))..."
+t1=`$PERL -e 'print time()'`
 $DIG -p ${PORT} +tries=1 +timeout=10  @10.53.0.3 data.example TXT > dig.out.test$((n+1)) &
 $DIG -p ${PORT} +tries=1 +timeout=10  @10.53.0.3 nodata.example TXT > dig.out.test$((n+2))
 wait
+t2=`$PERL -e 'print time()'`
 
 # We configured a long value of 30 seconds for resolver-query-timeout.
 # That should give us enough time to receive an stale answer from cache
@@ -1657,8 +1659,6 @@ wait
 n=$((n+1))
 echo_i "check stale data.example comes from cache (default stale-answer-client-timeout) ($n)"
 nextpart ns3/named.run > /dev/null
-t1=`$PERL -e 'print time()'`
-t2=`$PERL -e 'print time()'`
 wait_for_log 5 "data.example client timeout, stale answer used" ns3/named.run || ret=1
 ret=0
 grep "status: NOERROR" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null || ret=1
diff --git a/doc/arm/reference.rst b/doc/arm/reference.rst
index edd2d7337f..e3eb4b0ae5 100644
--- a/doc/arm/reference.rst
+++ b/doc/arm/reference.rst
@@ -1867,7 +1867,7 @@ Boolean Options
    is disabled.
 
    The maximum value for this option is ``resolver-query-timeout`` minus
-   one second. The minimum value, ``0``, causes a cached RRset to be
+   one second. The minimum value, ``0``, causes a cached (stale) RRset to be
    immediately returned if it is available while still attempting to
    refresh the data in cache. :rfc:`8767` recommends a value of ``1800``
    (milliseconds).
diff --git a/lib/ns/query.c b/lib/ns/query.c
index 7911012286..97b8a9d5a2 100644
--- a/lib/ns/query.c
+++ b/lib/ns/query.c
@@ -5917,9 +5917,6 @@ query_lookup(query_ctx_t *qctx) {
 			return (ns_query_done(qctx));
 		}
 	} else if (stale_timeout) {
-		qctx->client->query.attributes |= NS_QUERYATTR_STALEOK;
-		qctx->rdataset->attributes |= DNS_RDATASETATTR_STALE_ADDED;
-
 		if ((qctx->options & DNS_GETDB_STALEFIRST) != 0) {
 			if (!stale_found) {
 				/*
@@ -8033,7 +8030,7 @@ query_addanswer(query_ctx_t *qctx) {
 		 * We can clear the attribute to prevent redundant clearing
 		 * in subsequent lookups.
 		 */
-		qctx->client->query.attributes &= ~DNS_RDATASETATTR_STALE_ADDED;
+		qctx->client->query.attributes &= ~NS_QUERYATTR_STALEOK;
 	}
 
 	if (qctx->dns64) {