diff --git a/records.go b/records.go
index 6ac41ca..eec9799 100644
--- a/records.go
+++ b/records.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/plugin"
+	"github.com/coredns/coredns/plugin/pkg/upstream"
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/request"
 
 	"github.com/miekg/dns"
@@ -13,8 +14,9 @@ const maxCnameStackDepth = 10
 
 // Records is the plugin handler.
 type Records struct {
-	origins []string // for easy matching, these strings are the index in the map m.
-	m       map[string][]dns.RR
+	origins  []string // for easy matching, these strings are the index in the map m.
+	m        map[string][]dns.RR
+	upstream *upstream.Upstream
 
 	Next plugin.Handler
 }
@@ -61,9 +63,14 @@ resolveLoop:
 				cnameStack[qname] = struct{}{}
 				qname = r.(*dns.CNAME).Target
 				if plugin.Zones(re.origins).Matches(qname) == "" {
-					// if the CNAME target isn't a record in this zone, break and return.
-					// The administrator can configure the `finalize` plugin (https://coredns.io/explugins/finalize/)
-					// to complete resolution of these names.
+					// if the CNAME target isn't a record in this zone, restart with upstream.
+					msgs, err := re.upstream.Lookup(ctx, state, qname, state.QType())
+					if err != nil {
+						return dns.RcodeServerFailure, err
+					}
+					for _, ans := range msgs.Answer {
+						m.Answer = append(m.Answer, ans)
+					}
 					break resolveLoop
 				}
 				goto resolveLoop
@@ -105,7 +112,9 @@ func (re *Records) Name() string { return "records" }
 
 // New returns a pointer to a new and intialized Records.
 func New() *Records {
-	re := new(Records)
-	re.m = make(map[string][]dns.RR)
+	re := &Records{
+		m: make(map[string][]dns.RR),
+		upstream: upstream.New(),
+	}
 	return re
 }