diff --git a/bin/named/client.c b/bin/named/client.c
index 9c9a90b6cb..e5159d80e9 100644
--- a/bin/named/client.c
+++ b/bin/named/client.c
@@ -2471,14 +2471,18 @@ client_request(isc_task_t *task, isc_event_t *event) {
 		 * Parsing the request failed.  Send a response
 		 * (typically FORMERR or SERVFAIL).
 		 */
-		if (result == DNS_R_OPTERR)
+		if (result == DNS_R_OPTERR) {
 			(void)ns_client_addopt(client, client->message,
 					       &client->opt);
+		}
 
 		ns_client_log(client, NS_LOGCATEGORY_CLIENT,
 			      NS_LOGMODULE_CLIENT, ISC_LOG_DEBUG(1),
 			      "message parsing failed: %s",
 			      isc_result_totext(result));
+		if (result == ISC_R_NOSPACE) {
+			result = DNS_R_FORMERR;
+		}
 		ns_client_error(client, result);
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
diff --git a/lib/dns/result.c b/lib/dns/result.c
index fcbe7186e6..9bfc959831 100644
--- a/lib/dns/result.c
+++ b/lib/dns/result.c
@@ -405,7 +405,6 @@ dns_result_torcode(isc_result_t result) {
 		rcode = dns_rcode_noerror;
 		break;
 	case ISC_R_BADBASE64:
-	case ISC_R_NOSPACE:
 	case ISC_R_RANGE:
 	case ISC_R_UNEXPECTEDEND:
 	case DNS_R_BADAAAA: