diff --git a/lib/dns/zone/rr/record.rb b/lib/dns/zone/rr/record.rb
index c55cb4c..729b315 100644
--- a/lib/dns/zone/rr/record.rb
+++ b/lib/dns/zone/rr/record.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Parent class of all RR types, common resource record code lives here.
 # Is responsible for building a Ruby object given a RR string.
 #
-# @abstract Each RR TYPE should subclass and override: {#load} and #{dump} 
+# @abstract Each RR TYPE should subclass and override: {#load} and #{dump}
 class DNS::Zone::RR::Record
 
   attr_accessor :label, :ttl
@@ -69,16 +69,23 @@ def load_general_and_get_rdata(string, options = {})
     captures = string.match(DNS::Zone::RR::REGEX_RR)
     return nil unless captures
 
-    if [' ', nil].include?(captures[:label])
+    unrolled_origin = options[:last_origin]
+                      .sub(options[:origin], '')
+                      .chomp('.') if options[:last_origin]
+
+    @label = captures[:label]
+
+    if [' ', nil].include?(@label)
+      # Empty labels indicate to use the previous value
       @label = options[:last_label]
-    else
-      @label = captures[:label]
-    end
 
-    # unroll records nested under other origins
-    unrolled_origin = options[:last_origin].sub(options[:origin], '').chomp('.') if options[:last_origin]
-    if unrolled_origin && !unrolled_origin.empty?
-      @label = @label == '@' ? unrolled_origin : "#{@label}.#{unrolled_origin}"
+    elsif @label == '@' && unrolled_origin && !unrolled_origin.empty?
+      # '@' and an unrolled origin set the current origin
+      @label = unrolled_origin
+
+    elsif unrolled_origin && !unrolled_origin.empty?
+      # Set the 'sub' $origin
+      @label = "#{@label}.#{unrolled_origin}"
     end
 
     @ttl = captures[:ttl]
diff --git a/test/zone_test.rb b/test/zone_test.rb
index f307ae8..a97f005 100644
--- a/test/zone_test.rb
+++ b/test/zone_test.rb
@@ -88,6 +88,25 @@ class ZoneTest < DNS::Zone::TestCase
 @                     3600 A     1.1.1.1
 app1                    60 A     4.3.2.1
 
+EOL
+
+  # basic zone file example
+  ZONE_FILE_MULTIPLE_ORIGINS_MISSING_ATS_EXAMPLE =<<-EOL
+$ORIGIN lividpenguin.com.
+$TTL 3d
+@           IN  SOA  ns0.lividpenguin.com. luke.lividpenguin.com. (
+                           2013101406 ; zone serial number
+                           12h        ; refresh ttl
+                           15m        ; retry ttl
+                           3w         ; expiry ttl
+                           3h         ; minimum ttl
+                         )
+
+$ORIGIN sub.lividpenguin.com.
+@                    60 A     1.2.3.4
+                     60 TXT   "foo"
+app1                 60 A     4.3.2.1
+                     60 TXT   "bar"
 EOL
 
   def test_create_new_instance
@@ -200,6 +219,24 @@ def test_load_multiple_origins
     assert_equal '4.3.2.1', zone.records[11].address
   end
 
+  def test_load_multiple_origins_with_missing_ats
+    zone = DNS::Zone.load(ZONE_FILE_MULTIPLE_ORIGINS_MISSING_ATS_EXAMPLE)
+    assert_equal 'lividpenguin.com.', zone.origin
+    assert_equal 5, zone.records.length, 'we should have multiple records (including SOA)'
+    assert_equal 'A', zone.records[1].type
+    assert_equal 'sub', zone.records[1].label
+    assert_equal '1.2.3.4', zone.records[1].address
+    assert_equal 'TXT', zone.records[2].type
+    assert_equal 'sub', zone.records[2].label
+    assert_equal 'foo', zone.records[2].text
+    assert_equal 'A', zone.records[3].type
+    assert_equal 'app1.sub', zone.records[3].label
+    assert_equal '4.3.2.1', zone.records[3].address
+    assert_equal 'TXT', zone.records[4].type
+    assert_equal 'app1.sub', zone.records[4].label
+    assert_equal 'bar', zone.records[4].text
+  end
+
   def test_extract_entry_from_one_line
     entries = DNS::Zone.extract_entries(%Q{maiow IN TXT "purr"})
     assert_equal 1, entries.length, 'we should have 1 entry'