diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index a14a10f19f..1b66703e3b 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+3578.	[bug]		'rndc -c file' now fails if 'file' does not exist.
+			[RT #33571]
+
 3577.	[bug]		Handle zero TTL values better. [RT #33411]
 
 3576.	[bug]		Address a shutdown race when validating. [RT #33573]
diff --git a/bin/rndc/rndc.c b/bin/rndc/rndc.c
index e3e6525f5c..3e4e9af108 100644
--- a/bin/rndc/rndc.c
+++ b/bin/rndc/rndc.c
@@ -491,6 +491,9 @@ parse_config(isc_mem_t *mctx, isc_log_t *log, const char *keyname,
 		conffile = admin_keyfile;
 		conftype = &cfg_type_rndckey;
 
+		if (c_flag)
+			fatal("%s does not exist", admin_conffile);
+
 		if (! isc_file_exists(conffile))
 			fatal("neither %s nor %s was found",
 			      admin_conffile, admin_keyfile);