diff --git a/bin/tests/dispatch_tcp_test.c b/bin/tests/dispatch_tcp_test.c
index d4f0492d0d..7ef2b6cae7 100644
--- a/bin/tests/dispatch_tcp_test.c
+++ b/bin/tests/dispatch_tcp_test.c
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ got_response(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *ev_in)
 	result = dns_message_create(mctx, DNS_MESSAGE_INTENTPARSE, &msg);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_create() failed");
 
-	result = dns_message_parse(msg, &ev->buffer);
+	result = dns_message_parse(msg, &ev->buffer, ISC_FALSE);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_parse() failed");
 
 	result = printmessage(msg);
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ got_request(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *ev_in)
 	result = dns_message_create(mctx, DNS_MESSAGE_INTENTPARSE, &msg);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_create() failed");
 
-	result = dns_message_parse(msg, &ev->buffer);
+	result = dns_message_parse(msg, &ev->buffer, ISC_FALSE);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_parse() failed");
 
 	result = printmessage(msg);
diff --git a/bin/tests/dispatch_test.c b/bin/tests/dispatch_test.c
index 56bdd06728..aec3e9ce27 100644
--- a/bin/tests/dispatch_test.c
+++ b/bin/tests/dispatch_test.c
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ got_response(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *ev_in)
 	result = dns_message_create(mctx, DNS_MESSAGE_INTENTPARSE, &msg);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_create() failed");
 
-	result = dns_message_parse(msg, &ev->buffer);
+	result = dns_message_parse(msg, &ev->buffer, ISC_FALSE);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_parse() failed");
 
 	result = printmessage(msg);
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ got_request(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *ev_in)
 	result = dns_message_create(mctx, DNS_MESSAGE_INTENTPARSE, &msg);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_create() failed");
 
-	result = dns_message_parse(msg, &ev->buffer);
+	result = dns_message_parse(msg, &ev->buffer, ISC_FALSE);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_parse() failed");
 
 	result = printmessage(msg);
diff --git a/bin/tests/sdig.c b/bin/tests/sdig.c
index 9b391cbf46..5fb29df540 100644
--- a/bin/tests/sdig.c
+++ b/bin/tests/sdig.c
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ recv_done(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 				ISC_BUFFERTYPE_BINARY);
 		isc_buffer_add(&b, sevent->n);
 		dns_message_reset(message, DNS_MESSAGE_INTENTPARSE);
-		result = dns_message_parse(message, &b);
+		result = dns_message_parse(message, &b, ISC_FALSE);
 		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
 			hex_dump(&b);
 		check_result(result, "dns_message_parse()");
diff --git a/bin/tests/wire_test.c b/bin/tests/wire_test.c
index eeabd08293..06e352db0f 100644
--- a/bin/tests/wire_test.c
+++ b/bin/tests/wire_test.c
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	result = dns_message_create(mctx, DNS_MESSAGE_INTENTPARSE, &message);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_create failed");
 
-	result = dns_message_parse(message, &source);
+	result = dns_message_parse(message, &source, ISC_FALSE);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_parse failed");
 
 	result = printmessage(message);
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	result = dns_message_create(mctx, DNS_MESSAGE_INTENTPARSE, &message);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_create failed");
 
-	result = dns_message_parse(message, &source);
+	result = dns_message_parse(message, &source, ISC_FALSE);
 	CHECKRESULT(result, "dns_message_parse failed");
 
 	result = printmessage(message);
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/message.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/message.h
index 5beba86c57..5654cc4d72 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/message.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/message.h
@@ -202,7 +202,8 @@ dns_message_destroy(dns_message_t **msgp);
  */
 
 dns_result_t
-dns_message_parse(dns_message_t *msg, isc_buffer_t *source);
+dns_message_parse(dns_message_t *msg, isc_buffer_t *source,
+		  isc_boolean_t preserve_order);
 /*
  * Parse raw wire data pointed to by "buffer" and bounded by "buflen" as a
  * DNS message.
@@ -212,6 +213,18 @@ dns_message_parse(dns_message_t *msg, isc_buffer_t *source);
  * time, the TSIG is verified (XXX) and the message fails if the TSIG fails
  * to verify.
  *
+ * If 'preserve_order' is true, or if the opcode of the message is UPDATE,
+ * a separate dns_name_t object will be created for each RR in the message.
+ * Each such dns_name_t will have a single rdataset containing the single RR,
+ * and the order of the RRs in the message is preserved.
+ * Otherwise, only one dns_name_t object will be created for each unique
+ * owner name in the section, and each such dns_name_t will have a list
+ * of rdatasets.  To access the names and their data, use 
+ * dns_message_firstname() and dns_message_nextname(). 
+ *
+ * OPT and TSIG records are always handled specially, regardless of the
+ * 'preserve_order' setting.
+ *
  * If this is a multi-packet message (edns) and more data is required to
  * build the full message state, DNS_R_MOREDATA is returned.  In this case,
  * this function should be repeated with all input buffers until DNS_R_SUCCESS
@@ -369,12 +382,7 @@ dns_message_firstname(dns_message_t *msg, dns_section_t section);
  * Set internal per-section name pointer to the beginning of the section.
  *
  * The functions dns_message_firstname() and dns_message_nextname() may
- * be used for iterating over the owner names occuring in a section.  For
- * ordinary DNS messages, each unique owner name will be returned only
- * once, and will be associated with a list of rdatasets.  For dynamic
- * update messages, the owner name of each RR in the message will be
- * returned separately, it will be associated with a list containing a
- * single rdataset, and that rdataset will contain a single update RR.
+ * be used for iterating over the owner names in a section. 
  *
  * Requires:
  *
diff --git a/lib/dns/resolver.c b/lib/dns/resolver.c
index 720648b855..22e0ddd0c7 100644
--- a/lib/dns/resolver.c
+++ b/lib/dns/resolver.c
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ query_response(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 	INSIST(fctx->state == fetchstate_active);
 
 	message = fctx->rmessage;
-	result = dns_message_parse(message, &devent->buffer);
+	result = dns_message_parse(message, &devent->buffer, ISC_FALSE);
 	if (result != DNS_R_SUCCESS) {
 		switch (result) {
 		case DNS_R_FORMERR: