diff --git a/middleware/name.go b/middleware/name.go
index f866a3865..ab9772b37 100644
--- a/middleware/name.go
+++ b/middleware/name.go
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package middleware
 
-import "strings"
+import (
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/miekg/dns"
+)
 
 // Name represents a domain name.
 type Name string
@@ -13,3 +17,8 @@ type Name string
 func (n Name) Matches(other string) bool {
 	return strings.HasSuffix(string(n), other)
 }
+
+// Normalize lowercases and makes n fully qualified.
+func (n Name) Normalize() string {
+	return strings.ToLower(dns.Fqdn(string(n)))
+}
diff --git a/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.go b/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.go
index 42043506e..7ec8debdb 100644
--- a/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.go
+++ b/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.go
@@ -69,27 +69,31 @@ func NewSimpleRule(from, to string) SimpleRule {
 	// It's only a type if uppercase is used.
 	if from != strings.ToUpper(from) {
 		tpf = 0
+		from = middleware.Name(from).Normalize()
 	}
 	if to != strings.ToUpper(to) {
 		tpt = 0
+		to = middleware.Name(to).Normalize()
 	}
-
-	// lowercase and fully qualify the others here? TODO(miek)
 	return SimpleRule{From: from, To: to, fromType: tpf, toType: tpt}
 }
 
 // Rewrite rewrites the the current request.
 func (s SimpleRule) Rewrite(r *dns.Msg) Result {
+	// type rewrite
 	if s.fromType > 0 && s.toType > 0 {
 		if r.Question[0].Qtype == s.fromType {
 			r.Question[0].Qtype = s.toType
 			return RewriteDone
 		}
-
+		return RewriteIgnored
 	}
 
-	// if the question name matches the full name, or subset rewrite that
-	// s.Question[0].Name
+	// name rewite
+	if s.From == r.Question[0].Name {
+		r.Question[0].Name = s.To
+		return RewriteDone
+	}
 	return RewriteIgnored
 }
 
diff --git a/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.md b/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.md
index 198e35825..6b5fb8161 100644
--- a/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.md
+++ b/middleware/rewrite/rewrite.md
@@ -16,9 +16,13 @@ rewrite from to
 If from *and* to look like a DNS type (`A`, `MX`, etc.) the type of the message will be rewriten,
 i.e. to rewrite ANY queries to HINFO, use `rewrite ANY HINFO`.
 
-If it does not look like a type a name is assumed and the qname in the message is rewritten.
+If it does not look like a type a name is assumed and the qname in the message is rewritten, this
+needs to be a full match of the name `rewrite miek.nl example.org`.
 
 Advanced users may open a block and make a complex rewrite rule:
+TODO(miek): this has not yet been implemented.
+
+> Everything below this line has not been implemented, yet.
 
 ~~~
 rewrite [basename] {