diff --git a/middleware/kubernetes/federation_test.go b/middleware/kubernetes/federation_test.go
index be5069c26..410d2a54e 100644
--- a/middleware/kubernetes/federation_test.go
+++ b/middleware/kubernetes/federation_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/middleware/etcd/msg"
+	"github.com/coredns/coredns/request"
 	"github.com/miekg/dns"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/1.5/pkg/api"
 )
@@ -90,12 +91,18 @@ func TestFederationCNAMERecord(t *testing.T) {
 	k.APIConn = apiConnFedTest{}
 	k.interfaceAddrsFunc = func() net.IP { return net.ParseIP("10.9.8.7") }
 
-	r, _ := k.parseRequest("s1.ns.fed.svc.inter.webs.", dns.TypeA, "inter.webs.")
+	m := new(dns.Msg)
+	state := request.Request{Zone: "inter.webs.", Req: m}
+
+	m.SetQuestion("s1.ns.fed.svc.inter.webs.", dns.TypeA)
+	r, _ := k.parseRequest(state)
 	testFederationCNAMERecord(t, k, r, msg.Service{Key: "/coredns/webs/inter/svc/fed/ns/s1", Host: "s1.ns.fed.svc.fd-az.fd-r.era.tion.com"})
 
-	r, _ = k.parseRequest("ep1.s1.ns.fed.svc.inter.webs.", dns.TypeA, "inter.webs.")
+	m.SetQuestion("ep1.s1.ns.fed.svc.inter.webs.", dns.TypeA)
+	r, _ = k.parseRequest(state)
 	testFederationCNAMERecord(t, k, r, msg.Service{Key: "/coredns/webs/inter/svc/fed/ns/s1/ep1", Host: "ep1.s1.ns.fed.svc.fd-az.fd-r.era.tion.com"})
 
-	r, _ = k.parseRequest("ep1.s1.ns.foo.svc.inter.webs.", dns.TypeA, "inter.webs.")
+	m.SetQuestion("ep1.s1.ns.foo.svc.inter.webs.", dns.TypeA)
+	r, _ = k.parseRequest(state)
 	testFederationCNAMERecord(t, k, r, msg.Service{Key: "", Host: ""})
 }
diff --git a/middleware/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/middleware/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index e710e60f9..be6fde424 100644
--- a/middleware/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/middleware/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func (k *Kubernetes) Services(state request.Request, exact bool, opt middleware.
 		return []msg.Service{svc}, nil, nil
 	}
 
-	r, e := k.parseRequest(state.Name(), state.QType(), state.Zone)
+	r, e := k.parseRequest(state)
 	if e != nil {
 		return nil, nil, e
 	}
diff --git a/middleware/kubernetes/ns.go b/middleware/kubernetes/ns.go
index 28de73f2a..8556469c4 100644
--- a/middleware/kubernetes/ns.go
+++ b/middleware/kubernetes/ns.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ FindEndpoint:
 		for _, eps := range ep.Subsets {
 			for _, addr := range eps.Addresses {
 				if localIP.Equal(net.ParseIP(addr.IP)) {
-
 					svcNamespace = ep.ObjectMeta.Namespace
 					svcName = ep.ObjectMeta.Name
 					break FindEndpoint
diff --git a/middleware/kubernetes/parse.go b/middleware/kubernetes/parse.go
index 790060896..1ab8fd1c6 100644
--- a/middleware/kubernetes/parse.go
+++ b/middleware/kubernetes/parse.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package kubernetes
 
 import (
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/middleware/pkg/dnsutil"
+	"github.com/coredns/coredns/request"
 
 	"github.com/miekg/dns"
 )
@@ -23,33 +24,29 @@ type recordRequest struct {
 	federation string
 }
 
-// TODO(miek): make it use request.Request.
-func (k *Kubernetes) parseRequest(lowerCasedName string, qtype uint16, zone ...string) (r recordRequest, err error) {
+// parseRequest parses the qname to find all the elements we need for querying k8s.
+func (k *Kubernetes) parseRequest(state request.Request) (r recordRequest, err error) {
 	// 3 Possible cases
 	//   SRV Request: _port._protocol.service.namespace.[federation.]type.zone
 	//   A Request (endpoint): endpoint.service.namespace.[federation.]type.zone
 	//   A Request (service): service.namespace.[federation.]type.zone
 
-	if len(zone) == 0 {
-		panic("parseRequest must be called with a zone")
-	}
-
-	base, _ := dnsutil.TrimZone(lowerCasedName, zone[0])
+	base, _ := dnsutil.TrimZone(state.Name(), state.Zone)
 	segs := dns.SplitDomainName(base)
 
-	r.zone = zone[0]
+	r.zone = state.Zone
 	r.federation, segs = k.stripFederation(segs)
 
-	if qtype == dns.TypeNS {
+	if state.QType() == dns.TypeNS {
 		return r, nil
 	}
 
-	if qtype == dns.TypeA && isDefaultNS(lowerCasedName, r) {
+	if state.QType() == dns.TypeA && isDefaultNS(state.Name(), r) {
 		return r, nil
 	}
 
 	offset := 0
-	if qtype == dns.TypeSRV {
+	if state.QType() == dns.TypeSRV {
 		// The kubernetes peer-finder expects queries with empty port and service to resolve
 		// If neither is specified, treat it as a wildcard
 		if len(segs) == 3 {
@@ -87,7 +84,7 @@ func (k *Kubernetes) parseRequest(lowerCasedName string, qtype uint16, zone ...s
 			offset = 2
 		}
 	}
-	if (qtype == dns.TypeA || qtype == dns.TypeAAAA) && len(segs) == 4 {
+	if (state.QType() == dns.TypeA || state.QType() == dns.TypeAAAA) && len(segs) == 4 {
 		// This is an endpoint A/AAAA record request. Get first element as endpoint.
 		r.endpoint = segs[0]
 		offset = 1
diff --git a/middleware/kubernetes/parse_test.go b/middleware/kubernetes/parse_test.go
index 164bf295e..010b9e542 100644
--- a/middleware/kubernetes/parse_test.go
+++ b/middleware/kubernetes/parse_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package kubernetes
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/coredns/coredns/request"
 	"github.com/miekg/dns"
 )
 
@@ -35,7 +36,11 @@ func TestParseRequest(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for i, tc := range tests {
-		r, e := k.parseRequest(tc.query, tc.qtype, zone)
+		m := new(dns.Msg)
+		m.SetQuestion(tc.query, tc.qtype)
+		state := request.Request{Zone: zone, Req: m}
+
+		r, e := k.parseRequest(state)
 		if e != nil {
 			t.Errorf("Test %d, expected no error, got '%v'.", i, e)
 		}
@@ -58,7 +63,11 @@ func TestParseInvalidRequest(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for query, qtype := range invalid {
-		if _, e := k.parseRequest(query, qtype, zone); e == nil {
+		m := new(dns.Msg)
+		m.SetQuestion(query, qtype)
+		state := request.Request{Zone: zone, Req: m}
+
+		if _, e := k.parseRequest(state); e == nil {
 			t.Errorf("Expected error from %s:%d, got none", query, qtype)
 		}
 	}