diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/rdataset.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/rdataset.h
index f12419bcac..2569e40d23 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/rdataset.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/rdataset.h
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ typedef struct dns_rdatasetmethods {
  * rdataset implementations may change any of the fields.
  */
 struct dns_rdataset {
-	unsigned int	       magic; /* XXX ? */
+	unsigned int	       magic;
 	dns_rdatasetmethods_t *methods;
 	ISC_LINK(dns_rdataset_t) link;
 
@@ -107,11 +107,7 @@ struct dns_rdataset {
 	dns_rdataclass_t rdclass;
 	dns_rdatatype_t	 type;
 	dns_ttl_t	 ttl;
-	/*
-	 * Stale ttl is used to see how long this RRset can still be used
-	 * to serve to clients, after the TTL has expired.
-	 */
-	dns_ttl_t	stale_ttl;
+
 	dns_trust_t	trust;
 	dns_rdatatype_t covers;
 
diff --git a/lib/dns/masterdump.c b/lib/dns/masterdump.c
index 75cd0d2509..c66eb7cceb 100644
--- a/lib/dns/masterdump.c
+++ b/lib/dns/masterdump.c
@@ -1114,7 +1114,7 @@ again:
 				char buf[sizeof("YYYYMMDDHHMMSS")];
 				memset(buf, 0, sizeof(buf));
 				isc_buffer_init(&b, buf, sizeof(buf) - 1);
-				dns_time64_totext((uint64_t)rds->stale_ttl, &b);
+				dns_time64_totext((uint64_t)rds->ttl, &b);
 				fprintf(f,
 					"; expired since %s "
 					"(awaiting cleanup)\n",
diff --git a/lib/dns/rbtdb.c b/lib/dns/rbtdb.c
index 98f88e29de..4d37a36ba3 100644
--- a/lib/dns/rbtdb.c
+++ b/lib/dns/rbtdb.c
@@ -3136,6 +3136,7 @@ bind_rdataset(dns_rbtdb_t *rbtdb, dns_rbtnode_t *node, rdatasetheader_t *header,
 	rdataset->covers = RBTDB_RDATATYPE_EXT(header->type);
 	rdataset->ttl = header->rdh_ttl - now;
 	rdataset->trust = header->trust;
+
 	if (NEGATIVE(header)) {
 		rdataset->attributes |= DNS_RDATASETATTR_NEGATIVE;
 	}
@@ -3148,23 +3149,21 @@ bind_rdataset(dns_rbtdb_t *rbtdb, dns_rbtnode_t *node, rdatasetheader_t *header,
 	if (PREFETCH(header)) {
 		rdataset->attributes |= DNS_RDATASETATTR_PREFETCH;
 	}
+
 	if (stale && !ancient) {
 		dns_ttl_t stale_ttl = header->rdh_ttl + rbtdb->serve_stale_ttl;
 		if (stale_ttl > now) {
-			stale_ttl = stale_ttl - now;
+			rdataset->ttl = stale_ttl - now;
 		} else {
-			stale_ttl = 0;
+			rdataset->ttl = 0;
 		}
 		if (STALE_WINDOW(header)) {
 			rdataset->attributes |= DNS_RDATASETATTR_STALE_WINDOW;
 		}
 		rdataset->attributes |= DNS_RDATASETATTR_STALE;
-		rdataset->stale_ttl = stale_ttl;
-		rdataset->ttl = stale_ttl;
 	} else if (IS_CACHE(rbtdb) && !ACTIVE(header, now)) {
 		rdataset->attributes |= DNS_RDATASETATTR_ANCIENT;
-		rdataset->stale_ttl = header->rdh_ttl;
-		rdataset->ttl = 0;
+		rdataset->ttl = header->rdh_ttl;
 	}
 
 	rdataset->private1 = rbtdb;
@@ -5589,7 +5588,8 @@ expirenode(dns_db_t *db, dns_dbnode_t *node, isc_stdtime_t now) {
 		  isc_rwlocktype_write);
 
 	for (header = rbtnode->data; header != NULL; header = header->next) {
-		if (header->rdh_ttl <= now - RBTDB_VIRTUAL) {
+		if (header->rdh_ttl + rbtdb->serve_stale_ttl <=
+		    now - RBTDB_VIRTUAL) {
 			/*
 			 * We don't check if refcurrent(rbtnode) == 0 and try
 			 * to free like we do in cache_find(), because
@@ -5860,7 +5860,8 @@ cache_findrdataset(dns_db_t *db, dns_dbnode_t *node, dns_dbversion_t *version,
 	for (header = rbtnode->data; header != NULL; header = header_next) {
 		header_next = header->next;
 		if (!ACTIVE(header, now)) {
-			if ((header->rdh_ttl < now - RBTDB_VIRTUAL) &&
+			if ((header->rdh_ttl + rbtdb->serve_stale_ttl <
+			     now - RBTDB_VIRTUAL) &&
 			    (locktype == isc_rwlocktype_write ||
 			     NODE_TRYUPGRADE(lock) == ISC_R_SUCCESS))
 			{
@@ -6957,7 +6958,9 @@ addrdataset(dns_db_t *db, dns_dbnode_t *node, dns_dbversion_t *version,
 		}
 
 		header = isc_heap_element(rbtdb->heaps[rbtnode->locknum], 1);
-		if (header && header->rdh_ttl < now - RBTDB_VIRTUAL) {
+		if (header != NULL && header->rdh_ttl + rbtdb->serve_stale_ttl <
+					      now - RBTDB_VIRTUAL)
+		{
 			expire_header(rbtdb, header, tree_locked, expire_ttl);
 		}
 
diff --git a/lib/ns/query.c b/lib/ns/query.c
index 97c3be1dd0..749c748704 100644
--- a/lib/ns/query.c
+++ b/lib/ns/query.c
@@ -5875,6 +5875,7 @@ query_lookup(query_ctx_t *qctx) {
 		{
 			qctx->rdataset->ttl = qctx->view->staleanswerttl;
 			stale_found = true;
+			inc_stats(qctx->client, ns_statscounter_usedstale);
 		} else {
 			stale_found = false;
 		}