diff --git a/services/authzone.c b/services/authzone.c
index d41f76587..0e0e74ef6 100644
--- a/services/authzone.c
+++ b/services/authzone.c
@@ -1390,9 +1390,6 @@ az_insert_rr_decompress(struct auth_zone* z, uint8_t* pkt, size_t pktlen,
 	}
 	rr = sldns_buffer_begin(scratch_buffer);
 	rr_len = sldns_buffer_limit(scratch_buffer);
-	char buf[512];
-	(void)sldns_wire2str_rr_buf(rr, rr_len, buf, sizeof(buf));
-	log_info("decompress is %s", buf);
 	dname_len = dname_valid(rr, rr_len);
 	return az_insert_rr(z, rr, rr_len, dname_len, duplicate);
 }
@@ -1685,8 +1682,8 @@ xfr_find_soa(struct auth_zone* z, struct auth_xfer* xfr)
 	d = soa->data;
 	xfr->have_zone = 1;
 	xfr->serial = sldns_read_uint32(d->rr_data[0]+(d->rr_len[0]-20));
-	xfr->retry = sldns_read_uint32(d->rr_data[0]+(d->rr_len[0]-16));
-	xfr->refresh = sldns_read_uint32(d->rr_data[0]+(d->rr_len[0]-12));
+	xfr->refresh = sldns_read_uint32(d->rr_data[0]+(d->rr_len[0]-16));
+	xfr->retry = sldns_read_uint32(d->rr_data[0]+(d->rr_len[0]-12));
 	xfr->expiry = sldns_read_uint32(d->rr_data[0]+(d->rr_len[0]-8));
 	/* soa minimum at d->rr_len[0]-4 */
 	return 1;
@@ -3974,6 +3971,12 @@ xfr_process_chunk_list(struct auth_xfer* xfr, struct module_env* env,
 	/* unlock */
 	lock_rw_unlock(&z->lock);
 
+	if(verbosity >= VERB_QUERY && xfr->have_zone) {
+		char zname[256];
+		dname_str(xfr->name, zname);
+		verbose(VERB_QUERY, "auth zone %s updated to serial %u", zname,
+			(unsigned)xfr->serial);
+	}
 	/* see if we need to write to a zonefile */
 	xfr_write_after_update(xfr, env);
 	return 1;
diff --git a/testcode/fake_event.c b/testcode/fake_event.c
index 016d2d8ad..034f3ee56 100644
--- a/testcode/fake_event.c
+++ b/testcode/fake_event.c
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ repevt_string(enum replay_event_type t)
 	case repevt_back_reply:  return "REPLY";
 	case repevt_back_query:  return "CHECK_OUT_QUERY";
 	case repevt_autotrust_check: return "CHECK_AUTOTRUST";
+	case repevt_tempfile_check: return "CHECK_TEMPFILE";
 	case repevt_error:	 return "ERROR";
 	case repevt_assign:	 return "ASSIGN";
 	case repevt_traffic:	 return "TRAFFIC";
@@ -611,6 +612,59 @@ autotrust_check(struct replay_runtime* runtime, struct replay_moment* mom)
 	log_info("autotrust %s is OK", mom->autotrust_id);
 }
 
+/** check tempfile file contents */
+static void
+tempfile_check(struct replay_runtime* runtime, struct replay_moment* mom)
+{
+	char name[1024], line[1024];
+	FILE *in;
+	int lineno = 0, oke=1;
+	char* expanded;
+	struct config_strlist* p;
+	line[sizeof(line)-1] = 0;
+	log_assert(mom->autotrust_id);
+	fake_temp_file("_temp_", mom->autotrust_id, name, sizeof(name));
+	in = fopen(name, "r");
+	if(!in) fatal_exit("could not open %s: %s", name, strerror(errno));
+	for(p=mom->file_content; p; p=p->next) {
+		lineno++;
+		if(!fgets(line, (int)sizeof(line)-1, in)) {
+			log_err("tempfile check failed, could not read line");
+			log_err("file %s, line %d", name, lineno);
+			log_err("should be: %s", p->str);
+			fatal_exit("tempfile_check failed");
+		}
+		if(line[0]) line[strlen(line)-1] = 0; /* remove newline */
+		expanded = macro_process(runtime->vars, runtime, p->str);
+		if(!expanded) 
+			fatal_exit("could not expand macro line %d", lineno);
+		if(verbosity >= 7 && strcmp(p->str, expanded) != 0)
+			log_info("expanded '%s' to '%s'", p->str, expanded);
+		if(strcmp(expanded, line) != 0) {
+			log_err("mismatch in file %s, line %d", name, lineno);
+			log_err("file has : %s", line);
+			log_err("should be: %s", expanded);
+			free(expanded);
+			oke = 0;
+			continue;
+		}
+		free(expanded);
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s:%2d ok : %s\n", name, lineno, line);
+	}
+	if(fgets(line, (int)sizeof(line)-1, in)) {
+		log_err("tempfile check failed, extra lines in %s after %d",
+			name, lineno);
+		do {
+			fprintf(stderr, "file has: %s", line);
+		} while(fgets(line, (int)sizeof(line)-1, in));
+		oke = 0;
+	}
+	fclose(in);
+	if(!oke)
+		fatal_exit("tempfile_check STEP %d failed", mom->time_step);
+	log_info("tempfile %s is OK", mom->autotrust_id);
+}
+
 /** Store RTT in infra cache */
 static void
 do_infra_rtt(struct replay_runtime* runtime)
@@ -720,6 +774,10 @@ do_moment_and_advance(struct replay_runtime* runtime)
 		autotrust_check(runtime, runtime->now);
 		advance_moment(runtime);
 		break;
+	case repevt_tempfile_check:
+		tempfile_check(runtime, runtime->now);
+		advance_moment(runtime);
+		break;
 	case repevt_assign:
 		moment_assign(runtime, runtime->now);
 		advance_moment(runtime);
diff --git a/testcode/replay.c b/testcode/replay.c
index 085c31475..08d87470b 100644
--- a/testcode/replay.c
+++ b/testcode/replay.c
@@ -323,6 +323,15 @@ replay_moment_read(char* remain, FILE* in, const char* name,
 		mom->autotrust_id = strdup(remain);
 		if(!mom->autotrust_id) fatal_exit("out of memory");
 		read_file_content(in, &pstate->lineno, mom);
+	} else if(parse_keyword(&remain, "CHECK_TEMPFILE")) {
+		mom->evt_type = repevt_tempfile_check;
+		while(isspace((unsigned char)*remain))
+			remain++;
+		if(strlen(remain)>0 && remain[strlen(remain)-1]=='\n')
+			remain[strlen(remain)-1] = 0;
+		mom->autotrust_id = strdup(remain);
+		if(!mom->autotrust_id) fatal_exit("out of memory");
+		read_file_content(in, &pstate->lineno, mom);
 	} else if(parse_keyword(&remain, "ERROR")) {
 		mom->evt_type = repevt_error;
 	} else if(parse_keyword(&remain, "TRAFFIC")) {
diff --git a/testcode/replay.h b/testcode/replay.h
index d77ee0275..81f0a2c27 100644
--- a/testcode/replay.h
+++ b/testcode/replay.h
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@
  *		the step waits for traffic to stop.
  *      o CHECK_AUTOTRUST [id] - followed by FILE_BEGIN [to match] FILE_END.
  *      	The file contents is macro expanded before match.
+ *      o CHECK_TEMPFILE [fname] - followed by FILE_BEGIN [to match] FILE_END
  *      o INFRA_RTT [ip] [dp] [rtt] - update infra cache entry with rtt.
  *      o ERROR
  * ; following entry starts on the next line, ENTRY_BEGIN.
@@ -203,6 +204,8 @@ struct replay_moment {
 		repevt_back_query,
 		/** check autotrust key file */
 		repevt_autotrust_check,
+		/** check a temp file */
+		repevt_tempfile_check,
 		/** an error happens to outbound query */
 		repevt_error,
 		/** assignment to a variable */
diff --git a/testdata/auth_xfr.rpl b/testdata/auth_xfr.rpl
index b1610202c..effa5c5ff 100644
--- a/testdata/auth_xfr.rpl
+++ b/testdata/auth_xfr.rpl
@@ -203,4 +203,30 @@ ENTRY_END
 STEP 30 TIME_PASSES ELAPSE 10
 STEP 40 TRAFFIC
 
+STEP 50 QUERY
+ENTRY_BEGIN
+REPLY RD
+SECTION QUESTION
+www.example.com. IN A
+ENTRY_END
+
+; recursion happens here.
+STEP 60 CHECK_ANSWER
+ENTRY_BEGIN
+MATCH all
+REPLY QR AA RD RA NOERROR
+SECTION QUESTION
+www.example.com. IN A
+SECTION ANSWER
+www.example.com. IN A	1.2.3.4
+ENTRY_END
+
+; the zonefile was updated with new contents
+STEP 70 CHECK_TEMPFILE example.com
+FILE_BEGIN
+example.com.	3600	IN	SOA	ns.example.com. hostmaster.example.com. 1 3600 900 86400 3600
+example.com.	3600	IN	NS	ns.example.net.
+www.example.com.	3600	IN	A	1.2.3.4
+FILE_END
+
 SCENARIO_END