diff --git a/octodns/manager.py b/octodns/manager.py
index 0517c6e..d312fad 100644
--- a/octodns/manager.py
+++ b/octodns/manager.py
@@ -230,7 +230,12 @@ class Manager(object):
         zone = Zone(zone_name,
                     sub_zones=self.configured_sub_zones(zone_name))
 
-        if not desired:
+        if desired:
+            for _, records in desired._records.items():
+                for record in records:
+                    zone.add_record(record.copy(zone=zone), lenient=lenient)
+
+        else:
             for source in sources:
                 try:
                     source.populate(zone, lenient=lenient)
@@ -241,14 +246,6 @@ class Manager(object):
                                   'param', source.__class__.__name__)
                     source.populate(zone)
 
-        else:
-            for _, records in desired._records.items():
-                for record in records:
-                    d = record.data
-                    d['type'] = record._type
-                    r = Record.new(zone, record.name, d, source=record.source)
-                    zone.add_record(r, lenient=lenient)
-
         self.log.debug('sync:   planning, zone=%s', zone_name)
         plans = []
 
diff --git a/octodns/record/__init__.py b/octodns/record/__init__.py
index 08ec2ee..6c4e79f 100644
--- a/octodns/record/__init__.py
+++ b/octodns/record/__init__.py
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ class Record(EqualityTupleMixin):
         # force everything lower-case just to be safe
         self.name = text_type(name).lower() if name else name
         self.source = source
+        self._raw_data = data
         self.ttl = int(data['ttl'])
 
         self._octodns = data.get('octodns', {})
@@ -219,6 +220,14 @@ class Record(EqualityTupleMixin):
         if self.ttl != other.ttl:
             return Update(self, other)
 
+    def copy(self, zone=None):
+        return Record(
+            zone if zone else self.zone,
+            self.name,
+            self._raw_data,
+            self.source
+        )
+
     # NOTE: we're using __hash__ and ordering methods that consider Records
     # equivalent if they have the same name & _type. Values are ignored. This
     # is useful when computing diffs/changes.