diff --git a/lib/dns/adb.c b/lib/dns/adb.c
index d035681df2..9a25dc2bd1 100644
--- a/lib/dns/adb.c
+++ b/lib/dns/adb.c
@@ -2351,6 +2351,16 @@ dns_adb_create(isc_mem_t *mem, dns_view_t *view, isc_timermgr_t *timermgr,
 	return (result);
 }
 
+void
+dns_adb_attach(dns_adb_t *adb, dns_adb_t **adbx) {
+
+	REQUIRE(DNS_ADB_VALID(adb));
+	REQUIRE(adbx != NULL && *adbx == NULL);
+
+	inc_adb_erefcnt(adb, ISC_TRUE);
+	*adbx = adb;
+}
+
 void
 dns_adb_detach(dns_adb_t **adbx)
 {
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/adb.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/adb.h
index ac602f0f36..76b2149444 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/adb.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/adb.h
@@ -249,6 +249,17 @@ dns_adb_create(isc_mem_t *mem, dns_view_t *view, isc_timermgr_t *tmgr,
  *	ISC_R_NOMEMORY	after resource allocation failure.
  */
 
+void
+dns_adb_attach(dns_adb_t *adb, dns_adb_t **adbp);
+/*
+ * Attach to an 'adb' to 'adbp'.
+ *
+ * Requires:
+ *	'adb' to be a valid dns_adb_t, created via dns_adb_create().
+ *	'adbp' to be a valid pointer to a *dns_adb_t which is initalized
+ *		to NULL.
+ */
+
 void
 dns_adb_detach(dns_adb_t **adb);
 /*