diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
index 694104659e..2e3b10ebfa 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
@@ -1856,9 +1856,8 @@ dns_zone_getxfr(dns_zone_t *zone, dns_xfrin_t **xfrp, bool *is_running,
  *\li	'needs_refresh' to be non NULL.
  *
  * Returns:
- *	ISC_R_SUCCESS	xfrin exists and the information was returned.
- *	ISC_R_NOTFOUND	no xfrin was found for the zone.
- *	ISC_R_FAILED	error while trying to get the xfrin information
+ *	ISC_R_SUCCESS	transfer information is returned
+ *	ISC_R_FAILURE	error while trying to get the transfer information
  */
 
 void
diff --git a/lib/dns/zone.c b/lib/dns/zone.c
index 3c6d4557f5..65bbde5946 100644
--- a/lib/dns/zone.c
+++ b/lib/dns/zone.c
@@ -19293,7 +19293,7 @@ dns_zone_getxfr(dns_zone_t *zone, dns_xfrin_t **xfrp, bool *is_running,
 	REQUIRE(xfrp != NULL && *xfrp == NULL);
 
 	if (zone->zmgr == NULL) {
-		return (ISC_R_NOTFOUND);
+		return (ISC_R_FAILURE);
 	}
 
 	/* Reset. */