diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index c5a1582d87..592e20e84b 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+4539.	[bug]		Referencing a nonexistant zone with rpz could lead
+			to a assertion failure when configuring. [RT #43787]
+
 4538.	[bug]		Call dns_client_startresolve from client->task.
 			[RT #43896]
 
diff --git a/bin/named/server.c b/bin/named/server.c
index 52d625f598..c311d98cd0 100644
--- a/bin/named/server.c
+++ b/bin/named/server.c
@@ -2160,7 +2160,6 @@ configure_view(dns_view_t *view, cfg_obj_t *config, cfg_obj_t *vconfig,
 	dns_acl_t *clients = NULL, *mapped = NULL, *excluded = NULL;
 	unsigned int query_timeout, ndisp;
 	struct cfg_context *nzctx;
-	dns_rpz_zone_t *rpz;
 
 	REQUIRE(DNS_VIEW_VALID(view));
 
@@ -2319,22 +2318,6 @@ configure_view(dns_view_t *view, cfg_obj_t *config, cfg_obj_t *vconfig,
 				     actx, ISC_FALSE));
 	}
 
-	for (rpz = ISC_LIST_HEAD(view->rpz_zones);
-	     rpz != NULL;
-	     rpz = ISC_LIST_NEXT(rpz, link))
-	{
-		if (!rpz->defined) {
-			char namebuf[DNS_NAME_FORMATSIZE];
-
-			dns_name_format(&rpz->origin, namebuf, sizeof(namebuf));
-			cfg_obj_log(obj, ns_g_lctx, DNS_RPZ_ERROR_LEVEL,
-				    "'%s' is not a master or slave zone",
-				    namebuf);
-			result = ISC_R_NOTFOUND;
-			goto cleanup;
-		}
-	}
-
 	/*
 	 * If we're allowing added zones, then load zone configuration
 	 * from the newzone file for zones that were added during previous
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/checkconf/bad-rpz-zone.conf b/bin/tests/system/checkconf/bad-rpz-zone.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b9399d05f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/tests/system/checkconf/bad-rpz-zone.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+options {
+	response-policy {
+		zone "nonexistent";
+	};
+};
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/checkconf/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/checkconf/tests.sh
index e962b2c672..8692a95821 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/checkconf/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/checkconf/tests.sh
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@ for bad in bad*.conf
 do
 	ret=0
 	echo "I: checking that named-checkconf detects error in $bad"
-	$CHECKCONF $bad > /dev/null 2>&1
-	if [ $? != 1 ]; then echo "I:failed"; ret=1; fi
+	$CHECKCONF $bad > checkconf.out 2>&1
+	if [ $? != 1 ]; then ret=1; fi
+	grep "^$bad:[0-9]*: " checkconf.out > /dev/null || ret=1
+	if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo "I:failed"; fi
 	status=`expr $status + $ret`
 done
 
diff --git a/lib/bind9/check.c b/lib/bind9/check.c
index 00da5569ed..13d6846ece 100644
--- a/lib/bind9/check.c
+++ b/lib/bind9/check.c
@@ -2495,6 +2495,53 @@ check_trusted_key(const cfg_obj_t *key, isc_boolean_t managed,
 	return (result);
 }
 
+static isc_result_t
+check_rpz_catz(const char *rpz_catz, const cfg_obj_t *rpz_obj,
+	       const char *viewname, isc_symtab_t *symtab, isc_log_t *logctx)
+{
+	const cfg_listelt_t *element;
+	const cfg_obj_t *obj, *nameobj, *zoneobj;
+	const char *zonename, *zonetype;
+	const char *forview = " for view ";
+	isc_symvalue_t value;
+	isc_result_t result, tresult;
+
+	if (viewname == NULL) {
+		viewname = "";
+		forview = "";
+	}
+	result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+
+	obj = cfg_tuple_get(rpz_obj, "zone list");
+	for (element = cfg_list_first(obj);
+	     element != NULL;
+	     element = cfg_list_next(element)) {
+		obj = cfg_listelt_value(element);
+		nameobj = cfg_tuple_get(obj, "zone name");
+		zonename = cfg_obj_asstring(nameobj);
+		zonetype = "";
+		tresult = isc_symtab_lookup(symtab, zonename, 3, &value);
+		if (tresult == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
+			obj = NULL;
+			zoneobj = value.as_cpointer;
+			if (zoneobj != NULL && cfg_obj_istuple(zoneobj))
+				zoneobj = cfg_tuple_get(zoneobj, "options");
+			if (zoneobj != NULL && cfg_obj_ismap(zoneobj))
+				(void)cfg_map_get(zoneobj, "type", &obj);
+			if (obj != NULL)
+				zonetype = cfg_obj_asstring(obj);
+		}
+		if (strcasecmp(zonetype, "master") != 0 &&
+		    strcasecmp(zonetype, "slave") != 0) {
+			cfg_obj_log(nameobj, logctx, ISC_LOG_ERROR,
+				    "%s '%s'%s%s is not a master or slave zone",
+				    rpz_catz, zonename, forview, viewname);
+			result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
+		}
+	}
+	return (result);
+}
+
 static isc_result_t
 check_viewconf(const cfg_obj_t *config, const cfg_obj_t *voptions,
 	       const char *viewname, dns_rdataclass_t vclass,
@@ -2509,6 +2556,7 @@ check_viewconf(const cfg_obj_t *config, const cfg_obj_t *voptions,
 	cfg_aclconfctx_t *actx = NULL;
 	const cfg_obj_t *obj;
 	const cfg_obj_t *options = NULL;
+	const cfg_obj_t *opts = NULL;
 	isc_boolean_t enablednssec, enablevalidation;
 	const char *valstr = "no";
 
@@ -2517,6 +2565,14 @@ check_viewconf(const cfg_obj_t *config, const cfg_obj_t *voptions,
 	 */
 	(void)cfg_map_get(config, "options", &options);
 
+	/*
+	 * The most relevant options for this view
+	 */
+	if (voptions != NULL)
+		opts = voptions;
+	else
+		opts = options;
+
 	/*
 	 * Check that all zone statements are syntactically correct and
 	 * there are no duplicate zones.
@@ -2546,20 +2602,30 @@ check_viewconf(const cfg_obj_t *config, const cfg_obj_t *voptions,
 			result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Check that the response-policy and catalog-zones options
+	 * refer to zones that exist.
+	 */
+	if (opts != NULL) {
+		obj = NULL;
+		if (cfg_map_get(opts, "response-policy", &obj) == ISC_R_SUCCESS
+		    && check_rpz_catz("response-policy zone", obj,
+				 viewname, symtab, logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
+			result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
+		obj = NULL;
+		if (cfg_map_get(opts, "catalog-zones", &obj) == ISC_R_SUCCESS
+		    && check_rpz_catz("catalog zone", obj,
+				  viewname, symtab, logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
+			result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
+	}
+
 	isc_symtab_destroy(&symtab);
 
 	/*
 	 * Check that forwarding is reasonable.
 	 */
-	if (voptions == NULL) {
-		if (options != NULL)
-			if (check_forward(options, NULL,
-					  logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
-				result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
-	} else {
-		if (check_forward(voptions, NULL, logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
-			result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
-	}
+	if (opts != NULL && check_forward(opts, NULL, logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
+		result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
 
 	/*
 	 * Check non-zero options at the global and view levels.
@@ -2572,22 +2638,14 @@ check_viewconf(const cfg_obj_t *config, const cfg_obj_t *voptions,
 	/*
 	 * Check that dual-stack-servers is reasonable.
 	 */
-	if (voptions == NULL) {
-		if (options != NULL)
-			if (check_dual_stack(options, logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
-				result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
-	} else {
-		if (check_dual_stack(voptions, logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
-			result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
-	}
+	if (opts != NULL && check_dual_stack(opts, logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
+		result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
 
 	/*
 	 * Check that rrset-order is reasonable.
 	 */
-	if (voptions != NULL) {
-		if (check_order(voptions, logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
-			result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
-	}
+	if (opts != NULL && check_order(opts, logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
+		result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
 
 	/*
 	 * Check that all key statements are syntactically correct and
@@ -3024,10 +3082,6 @@ bind9_check_namedconf(const cfg_obj_t *config, isc_log_t *logctx,
 	if (bind9_check_controls(config, logctx, mctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
 		result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
 
-	if (options != NULL &&
-	    check_order(options, logctx) != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
-		result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
-
 	(void)cfg_map_get(config, "view", &views);
 
 	if (views != NULL && options != NULL)
diff --git a/lib/isccfg/parser.c b/lib/isccfg/parser.c
index 3c8dcdf014..630e5c8ea7 100644
--- a/lib/isccfg/parser.c
+++ b/lib/isccfg/parser.c
@@ -2677,11 +2677,13 @@ cfg_obj_log(const cfg_obj_t *obj, isc_log_t *lctx, int level,
 	va_start(ap, fmt);
 
 	vsnprintf(msgbuf, sizeof(msgbuf), fmt, ap);
-	isc_log_write(lctx, CAT, MOD, level,
-		      "%s:%u: %s",
-		      obj->file == NULL ? "<unknown file>" : obj->file,
-		      obj->line, msgbuf);
 	va_end(ap);
+	if (obj->file != NULL) {
+		isc_log_write(lctx, CAT, MOD, level,
+			      "%s:%u: %s", obj->file, obj->line, msgbuf);
+	} else {
+		isc_log_write(lctx, CAT, MOD, level, "%s", msgbuf);
+	}
 }
 
 const char *