diff --git a/plugin/kubernetes/metadata.go b/plugin/kubernetes/metadata.go
index 09d0b3ae5..36e2f9a0f 100644
--- a/plugin/kubernetes/metadata.go
+++ b/plugin/kubernetes/metadata.go
@@ -10,7 +10,21 @@ import (
 
 // Metadata implements the metadata.Provider interface.
 func (k *Kubernetes) Metadata(ctx context.Context, state request.Request) context.Context {
+	pod := k.podWithIP(state.IP())
+	if pod != nil {
+		metadata.SetValueFunc(ctx, "kubernetes/client-namespace", func() string {
+			return pod.Namespace
+		})
+
+		metadata.SetValueFunc(ctx, "kubernetes/client-pod-name", func() string {
+			return pod.Name
+		})
+	}
+
 	zone := plugin.Zones(k.Zones).Matches(state.Name())
+	if zone == "" {
+		return ctx
+	}
 	// possible optimization: cache r so it doesn't need to be calculated again in ServeDNS
 	r, err := parseRequest(state.Name(), zone)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -44,18 +58,5 @@ func (k *Kubernetes) Metadata(ctx context.Context, state request.Request) contex
 		return r.podOrSvc
 	})
 
-	pod := k.podWithIP(state.IP())
-	if pod == nil {
-		return ctx
-	}
-
-	metadata.SetValueFunc(ctx, "kubernetes/client-namespace", func() string {
-		return pod.Namespace
-	})
-
-	metadata.SetValueFunc(ctx, "kubernetes/client-pod-name", func() string {
-		return pod.Name
-	})
-
 	return ctx
 }
diff --git a/plugin/kubernetes/metadata_test.go b/plugin/kubernetes/metadata_test.go
index c55258335..224e84553 100644
--- a/plugin/kubernetes/metadata_test.go
+++ b/plugin/kubernetes/metadata_test.go
@@ -26,23 +26,23 @@ var metadataCases = []struct {
 	{
 		Qname: "10-240-0-1.podns.pod.cluster.local.", Qtype: dns.TypeA,
 		Md: map[string]string{
-			"kubernetes/endpoint":         "",
-			"kubernetes/kind":             "pod",
-			"kubernetes/namespace":        "podns",
-			"kubernetes/port-name":        "*",
-			"kubernetes/protocol":         "*",
-			"kubernetes/service":          "10-240-0-1",
+			"kubernetes/endpoint":  "",
+			"kubernetes/kind":      "pod",
+			"kubernetes/namespace": "podns",
+			"kubernetes/port-name": "*",
+			"kubernetes/protocol":  "*",
+			"kubernetes/service":   "10-240-0-1",
 		},
 	},
 	{
 		Qname: "s.ns.svc.cluster.local.", Qtype: dns.TypeA,
 		Md: map[string]string{
-			"kubernetes/endpoint":         "",
-			"kubernetes/kind":             "svc",
-			"kubernetes/namespace":        "ns",
-			"kubernetes/port-name":        "*",
-			"kubernetes/protocol":         "*",
-			"kubernetes/service":          "s",
+			"kubernetes/endpoint":  "",
+			"kubernetes/kind":      "svc",
+			"kubernetes/namespace": "ns",
+			"kubernetes/port-name": "*",
+			"kubernetes/protocol":  "*",
+			"kubernetes/service":   "s",
 		},
 	},
 	{
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ var metadataCases = []struct {
 			"kubernetes/service":   "s",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		Qname: "example.com.", Qtype: dns.TypeA,
+		RemoteIP: "10.10.10.10",
+		Md:       map[string]string{},
+	},
 }
 
 func mapsDiffer(a, b map[string]string) bool {
@@ -128,7 +133,7 @@ func TestMetadataPodsVerified(t *testing.T) {
 
 	ctx := metadata.ContextWithMetadata(context.Background())
 	state := request.Request{
-		Req:  &dns.Msg{Question: []dns.Question{{Name: "s.ns.svc.cluster.local.", Qtype: dns.TypeA}}},
+		Req:  &dns.Msg{Question: []dns.Question{{Name: "example.com.", Qtype: dns.TypeA}}},
 		Zone: ".",
 		W:    &test.ResponseWriter{},
 	}
@@ -136,12 +141,6 @@ func TestMetadataPodsVerified(t *testing.T) {
 	k.Metadata(ctx, state)
 
 	expect := map[string]string{
-		"kubernetes/endpoint":  "",
-		"kubernetes/kind":      "svc",
-		"kubernetes/namespace": "ns",
-		"kubernetes/port-name": "*",
-		"kubernetes/protocol":  "*",
-		"kubernetes/service":   "s",
 		"kubernetes/client-namespace": "podns",
 		"kubernetes/client-pod-name":  "foo",
 	}