diff --git a/designate/central/service.py b/designate/central/service.py
index e310414d7..d98f74e36 100644
--- a/designate/central/service.py
+++ b/designate/central/service.py
@@ -2680,7 +2680,10 @@ class Service(service.RPCService, service.Service):
                 zone.type = 'PRIMARY'
 
                 for rrset in list(zone.recordsets):
-                    if rrset.type in ('NS', 'SOA'):
+                    if rrset.type == 'SOA':
+                        zone.recordsets.remove(rrset)
+                    # subdomain NS records should be kept
+                    elif rrset.type == 'NS' and rrset.name == zone.name:
                         zone.recordsets.remove(rrset)
 
             except dnszone.UnknownOrigin:
diff --git a/designate/tests/test_api/test_v2/test_import_export.py b/designate/tests/test_api/test_v2/test_import_export.py
index 40f4e977f..203e6a9a0 100644
--- a/designate/tests/test_api/test_v2/test_import_export.py
+++ b/designate/tests/test_api/test_v2/test_import_export.py
@@ -130,10 +130,9 @@ class APIV2ZoneImportExportTest(ApiV2TestCase):
         # and dnspython considers that to be not equal.
         imported.delete_rdataset(imported.origin, 'SOA')
         exported.delete_rdataset(exported.origin, 'SOA')
-        # Delete NS records, since they won't be the same
+        # Delete NS records, except for delegated subdomains
         imported.delete_rdataset(imported.origin, 'NS')
         exported.delete_rdataset(exported.origin, 'NS')
-        imported.delete_rdataset('delegation', 'NS')
         self.assertEqual(imported, exported)
 
     # Metadata tests