diff --git a/examples/ldns-compare-zones.c b/examples/ldns-compare-zones.c
index 750a8455..7cb25a37 100644
--- a/examples/ldns-compare-zones.c
+++ b/examples/ldns-compare-zones.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 static void 
 usage(char *prog)
 {
-	printf("Usage: %s [-v] [-i] [-d] [-c] [-u] [-s] [-e] "
+	printf("Usage: %s [-v] [-i] [-d] [-c] [-u] [-s] [-Z] [-e] "
 	       "<zonefile1> <zonefile2>\n", prog);
 	printf("       -i - print inserted\n");
 	printf("       -d - print deleted\n");
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ usage(char *prog)
 	printf("       -U - print unchanged records in changed names\n");
 	printf("       -a - print all differences (-i -d -c)\n");
 	printf("       -s - do not exclude SOA record from comparison\n");
+	printf("       -Z - exclude ZONEMD records from comparison\n");
 	printf("       -z - do not sort zones\n");
 	printf("       -e - exit with status 2 on changed zones\n");
 	printf("       -h - show usage and exit\n");
@@ -61,10 +62,11 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	bool		opt_deleted = false, opt_inserted  = false;
 	bool            opt_changed = false, opt_unchanged = false, opt_Unchanged = false;
         bool		sort = true, inc_soa = false;
+	ldns_rr_type	exc_rr_type = 0;
 	bool		opt_exit_status = false;
 	char		op = 0;
 
-	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "ahvdicuUesz")) != -1) {
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "ahvdicuUesZz")) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'h':
 			usage(argv[0]);
@@ -83,6 +85,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		case 's':
 			inc_soa = true;
 			break;
+		case 'Z':
+			exc_rr_type = LDNS_RR_TYPE_ZONEMD;
+			break;
 		case 'z':
 			sort = false;
                         break;
@@ -129,8 +134,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 	/* Read first zone */
-	s = ldns_zone_new_frm_fp_l(&z1, fp1, NULL, 0, 
-						  LDNS_RR_CLASS_IN, &line_nr1);
+	s = ldns_zone_new_frm_fp_l_e(&z1, fp1, NULL, 0,
+						  LDNS_RR_CLASS_IN, &line_nr1, exc_rr_type);
 	if (s != LDNS_STATUS_OK) {
 		fclose(fp1);
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s at line %d\n",
@@ -148,8 +153,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 	/* Read second zone */
-	s = ldns_zone_new_frm_fp_l(&z2, fp2, NULL, 0,
-						  LDNS_RR_CLASS_IN, &line_nr2);
+	s = ldns_zone_new_frm_fp_l_e(&z2, fp2, NULL, 0,
+						  LDNS_RR_CLASS_IN, &line_nr2, exc_rr_type);
 	if (s != LDNS_STATUS_OK) {
 		ldns_zone_deep_free(z1);
 		fclose(fp2);
diff --git a/ldns/zone.h b/ldns/zone.h
index 805661f8..5eb64a09 100644
--- a/ldns/zone.h
+++ b/ldns/zone.h
@@ -150,6 +150,21 @@ ldns_status ldns_zone_new_frm_fp(ldns_zone **z, FILE *fp, const ldns_rdf *origin
  */
 ldns_status ldns_zone_new_frm_fp_l(ldns_zone **z, FILE *fp, const ldns_rdf *origin, uint32_t ttl, ldns_rr_class c, int *line_nr);
 
+/**
+ * Create a new zone from a file, keep track of the line numbering,
+ * filtering out the specified RR type
+ * \param[out] z the new zone
+ * \param[in] *fp the filepointer to use
+ * \param[in] *origin the zones' origin
+ * \param[in] ttl default ttl to use
+ * \param[in] c default class to use (IN)
+ * \param[out] line_nr used for error msg, to get to the line number
+ * \param[in] exc excluded RR type
+ *
+ * \return ldns_status mesg with an error or LDNS_STATUS_OK
+ */
+ldns_status ldns_zone_new_frm_fp_l_e(ldns_zone **z, FILE *fp, const ldns_rdf *origin, uint32_t ttl, ldns_rr_class c, int *line_nr, ldns_rr_type exc);
+
 /**
  * Frees the allocated memory for the zone, and the rr_list structure in it
  * \param[in] zone the zone to free
diff --git a/zone.c b/zone.c
index 9a5d4c4e..b5612be8 100644
--- a/zone.c
+++ b/zone.c
@@ -197,6 +197,13 @@ ldns_status _ldns_rr_new_frm_fp_l_internal(ldns_rr **newrr, FILE *fp,
 ldns_status
 ldns_zone_new_frm_fp_l(ldns_zone **z, FILE *fp, const ldns_rdf *origin,
 	uint32_t default_ttl, ldns_rr_class ATTR_UNUSED(c), int *line_nr)
+{
+	return ldns_zone_new_frm_fp_l_e(z, fp, origin, default_ttl, c, line_nr, 0);
+}
+
+ldns_status
+ldns_zone_new_frm_fp_l_e(ldns_zone **z, FILE *fp, const ldns_rdf *origin,
+	uint32_t default_ttl, ldns_rr_class ATTR_UNUSED(c), int *line_nr, ldns_rr_type exc)
 {
 	ldns_zone *newzone;
 	ldns_rr *rr, *prev_rr = NULL;
@@ -301,6 +308,11 @@ ldns_zone_new_frm_fp_l(ldns_zone **z, FILE *fp, const ldns_rdf *origin,
 				}
 				continue;
 			}
+			/* skip excluded RR type */
+			else if (ldns_rr_get_type(rr) == exc) {
+				ldns_rr_free(rr);
+				continue;
+			}
 			
 			/* a normal RR - as sofar the DNS is normal */
 			if (!ldns_zone_push_rr(newzone, rr)) {