diff --git a/core/setup/rewrite.go b/core/setup/rewrite.go
index 32f5f42a3..86bef2ca3 100644
--- a/core/setup/rewrite.go
+++ b/core/setup/rewrite.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func rewriteParse(c *Controller) ([]rewrite.Rule, error) {
 	for c.Next() {
 		var rule rewrite.Rule
 		var err error
-		var base = "/"
+		var base = "."
 		var pattern, to string
 		var status int
 		var ext []string
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func rewriteParse(c *Controller) ([]rewrite.Rule, error) {
 						return nil, c.ArgErr()
 					}
 					to = strings.Join(args1, " ")
-				case "ext":
+				case "ext": // TODO(miek): fix or remove
 					args1 := c.RemainingArgs()
 					if len(args1) == 0 {
 						return nil, c.ArgErr()
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func rewriteParse(c *Controller) ([]rewrite.Rule, error) {
 						return nil, err
 					}
 					ifs = append(ifs, ifCond)
-				case "status":
+				case "status": // TODO(miek): fix or remove
 					if !c.NextArg() {
 						return nil, c.ArgErr()
 					}
diff --git a/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.go b/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.go
index 91b35d236..42043506e 100644
--- a/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.go
+++ b/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 package rewrite
 
 import (
+	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/miekg/coredns/middleware"
 	"github.com/miekg/dns"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
@@ -64,7 +66,15 @@ type SimpleRule struct {
 func NewSimpleRule(from, to string) SimpleRule {
 	tpf := dns.StringToType[from]
 	tpt := dns.StringToType[to]
+	// It's only a type if uppercase is used.
+	if from != strings.ToUpper(from) {
+		tpf = 0
+	}
+	if to != strings.ToUpper(to) {
+		tpt = 0
+	}
 
+	// lowercase and fully qualify the others here? TODO(miek)
 	return SimpleRule{From: from, To: to, fromType: tpf, toType: tpt}
 }