diff --git a/octodns/manager.py b/octodns/manager.py
index 2545e71..11a675b 100644
--- a/octodns/manager.py
+++ b/octodns/manager.py
@@ -273,12 +273,18 @@ class Manager(object):
             for target, plan in plans:
                 plan.raise_if_unsafe()
 
-        if dry_run or config.get('always-dry-run', False):
+        if dry_run:
             return 0
 
         total_changes = 0
         self.log.debug('sync:   applying')
+        zones = self.config['zones']
         for target, plan in plans:
+            zone_name = plan.existing.name
+            if zones[zone_name].get('always-dry-run', False):
+                self.log.info('sync: zone=%s skipping always-dry-run',
+                              zone_name)
+                continue
             total_changes += target.apply(plan)
 
         self.log.info('sync:   %d total changes', total_changes)
diff --git a/octodns/provider/route53.py b/octodns/provider/route53.py
index 3849561..4d1b2e9 100644
--- a/octodns/provider/route53.py
+++ b/octodns/provider/route53.py
@@ -253,10 +253,13 @@ class Route53Provider(BaseProvider):
     _data_for_PTR = _data_for_single
     _data_for_CNAME = _data_for_single
 
+    _fix_semicolons = re.compile(r'(?<!\\);')
+
     def _data_for_quoted(self, rrset):
         return {
             'type': rrset['Type'],
-            'values': [rr['Value'][1:-1] for rr in rrset['ResourceRecords']],
+            'values': [self._fix_semicolons.sub('\;', rr['Value'][1:-1])
+                       for rr in rrset['ResourceRecords']],
             'ttl': int(rrset['TTL'])
         }
 
diff --git a/octodns/record.py b/octodns/record.py
index f3abd3f..cacb147 100644
--- a/octodns/record.py
+++ b/octodns/record.py
@@ -112,6 +112,9 @@ class Record(object):
             raise Exception('Invalid record {}, missing ttl'.format(self.fqdn))
         self.source = source
 
+        octodns = data.get('octodns', {})
+        self.ignored = octodns.get('ignored', False)
+
     def _data(self):
         return {'ttl': self.ttl}
 
diff --git a/octodns/zone.py b/octodns/zone.py
index e9c64b4..1822fec 100644
--- a/octodns/zone.py
+++ b/octodns/zone.py
@@ -76,8 +76,12 @@ class Zone(object):
 
         # Find diffs & removes
         for record in filter(_is_eligible, self.records):
+            if record.ignored:
+                continue
             try:
                 desired_record = desired_records[record]
+                if desired_record.ignored:
+                    continue
             except KeyError:
                 if not target.supports(record):
                     self.log.debug('changes:  skipping record=%s %s - %s does '
@@ -103,6 +107,8 @@ class Zone(object):
         # This uses set math and our special __hash__ and __cmp__ functions as
         # well
         for record in filter(_is_eligible, desired.records - self.records):
+            if record.ignored:
+                continue
             if not target.supports(record):
                 self.log.debug('changes:  skipping record=%s %s - %s does not '
                                'support it', record.fqdn, record._type,
diff --git a/tests/config/always-dry-run.yaml b/tests/config/always-dry-run.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..466c26b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/config/always-dry-run.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+providers:
+  in:
+    class: octodns.provider.yaml.YamlProvider
+    directory: tests/config
+  dump:
+    class: octodns.provider.yaml.YamlProvider
+    directory: env/YAML_TMP_DIR
+zones:
+  unit.tests.:
+    always-dry-run: true
+    sources:
+    - in
+    targets:
+    - dump
+  subzone.unit.tests.:
+    always-dry-run: false
+    sources:
+    - in
+    targets:
+    - dump
diff --git a/tests/config/unit.tests.yaml b/tests/config/unit.tests.yaml
index c71638b..d18bf59 100644
--- a/tests/config/unit.tests.yaml
+++ b/tests/config/unit.tests.yaml
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ cname:
   ttl: 300
   type: CNAME
   value: unit.tests.
+ignored:
+  octodns:
+    ignored: true
+  type: A
+  value: 9.9.9.9
 mx:
   ttl: 300
   type: MX
diff --git a/tests/test_octodns_manager.py b/tests/test_octodns_manager.py
index 811503a..fa8bdd1 100644
--- a/tests/test_octodns_manager.py
+++ b/tests/test_octodns_manager.py
@@ -88,6 +88,14 @@ class TestManager(TestCase):
                 .sync(['not.targetable.'])
         self.assertTrue('does not support targeting' in ctx.exception.message)
 
+    def test_always_dry_run(self):
+        with TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+            environ['YAML_TMP_DIR'] = tmpdir.dirname
+            tc = Manager(get_config_filename('always-dry-run.yaml')) \
+                .sync(dry_run=False)
+            # only the stuff from subzone, unit.tests. is always-dry-run
+            self.assertEquals(3, tc)
+
     def test_simple(self):
         with TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
             environ['YAML_TMP_DIR'] = tmpdir.dirname
diff --git a/tests/test_octodns_provider_dnsimple.py b/tests/test_octodns_provider_dnsimple.py
index ace7376..1f62bfd 100644
--- a/tests/test_octodns_provider_dnsimple.py
+++ b/tests/test_octodns_provider_dnsimple.py
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ class TestDnsimpleProvider(TestCase):
         ]
         plan = provider.plan(self.expected)
 
-        # No root NS
-        n = len(self.expected.records) - 1
+        # No root NS, no ignored
+        n = len(self.expected.records) - 2
         self.assertEquals(n, len(plan.changes))
         self.assertEquals(n, provider.apply(plan))
 
diff --git a/tests/test_octodns_provider_powerdns.py b/tests/test_octodns_provider_powerdns.py
index fd2752c..01e7d83 100644
--- a/tests/test_octodns_provider_powerdns.py
+++ b/tests/test_octodns_provider_powerdns.py
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ class TestPowerDnsProvider(TestCase):
         expected = Zone('unit.tests.', [])
         source = YamlProvider('test', join(dirname(__file__), 'config'))
         source.populate(expected)
-        self.assertEquals(14, len(expected.records))
+        expected_n = len(expected.records) - 1
+        self.assertEquals(14, expected_n)
 
         # No diffs == no changes
         with requests_mock() as mock:
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ class TestPowerDnsProvider(TestCase):
         # Used in a minute
         def assert_rrsets_callback(request, context):
             data = loads(request.body)
-            self.assertEquals(len(expected.records), len(data['rrsets']))
+            self.assertEquals(expected_n, len(data['rrsets']))
             return ''
 
         # No existing records -> creates for every record in expected
@@ -103,8 +104,8 @@ class TestPowerDnsProvider(TestCase):
             mock.patch(ANY, status_code=201, text=assert_rrsets_callback)
 
             plan = provider.plan(expected)
-            self.assertEquals(len(expected.records), len(plan.changes))
-            self.assertEquals(len(expected.records), provider.apply(plan))
+            self.assertEquals(expected_n, len(plan.changes))
+            self.assertEquals(expected_n, provider.apply(plan))
 
         # Non-existent zone -> creates for every record in expected
         # OMG this is fucking ugly, probably better to ditch requests_mocks and
@@ -121,8 +122,8 @@ class TestPowerDnsProvider(TestCase):
             mock.post(ANY, status_code=201, text=assert_rrsets_callback)
 
             plan = provider.plan(expected)
-            self.assertEquals(len(expected.records), len(plan.changes))
-            self.assertEquals(len(expected.records), provider.apply(plan))
+            self.assertEquals(expected_n, len(plan.changes))
+            self.assertEquals(expected_n, provider.apply(plan))
 
         with requests_mock() as mock:
             # get 422's, unknown zone
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ class TestPowerDnsProvider(TestCase):
         expected = Zone('unit.tests.', [])
         source = YamlProvider('test', join(dirname(__file__), 'config'))
         source.populate(expected)
-        self.assertEquals(14, len(expected.records))
+        self.assertEquals(15, len(expected.records))
 
         # A small change to a single record
         with requests_mock() as mock:
diff --git a/tests/test_octodns_provider_route53.py b/tests/test_octodns_provider_route53.py
index e1a73f8..b05c0fc 100644
--- a/tests/test_octodns_provider_route53.py
+++ b/tests/test_octodns_provider_route53.py
@@ -1217,3 +1217,23 @@ class TestRoute53Provider(TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(Exception) as ctx:
             provider.apply(plan)
         self.assertTrue('modifications' in ctx.exception.message)
+
+    def test_semicolon_fixup(self):
+        provider = Route53Provider('test', 'abc', '123')
+
+        self.assertEquals({
+            'type': 'TXT',
+            'ttl': 30,
+            'values': [
+                'abcd\\; ef\\;g',
+                'hij\\; klm\\;n',
+            ],
+        }, provider._data_for_quoted({
+            'ResourceRecords': [{
+                'Value': '"abcd; ef;g"',
+            }, {
+                'Value': '"hij\\; klm\\;n"',
+            }],
+            'TTL': 30,
+            'Type': 'TXT',
+        }))
diff --git a/tests/test_octodns_provider_yaml.py b/tests/test_octodns_provider_yaml.py
index a557bb3..05c5248 100644
--- a/tests/test_octodns_provider_yaml.py
+++ b/tests/test_octodns_provider_yaml.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class TestYamlProvider(TestCase):
 
         # without it we see everything
         source.populate(zone)
-        self.assertEquals(14, len(zone.records))
+        self.assertEquals(15, len(zone.records))
 
         # Assumption here is that a clean round-trip means that everything
         # worked as expected, data that went in came back out and could be
diff --git a/tests/test_octodns_zone.py b/tests/test_octodns_zone.py
index da83dfc..88bbb68 100644
--- a/tests/test_octodns_zone.py
+++ b/tests/test_octodns_zone.py
@@ -172,3 +172,36 @@ class TestZone(TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(SubzoneRecordException) as ctx:
             zone.add_record(record)
         self.assertTrue('under a managed sub-zone', ctx.exception.message)
+
+    def test_ignored_records(self):
+        zone_normal = Zone('unit.tests.', [])
+        zone_ignored = Zone('unit.tests.', [])
+        zone_missing = Zone('unit.tests.', [])
+
+        normal = Record.new(zone_normal, 'www', {
+            'ttl': 60,
+            'type': 'A',
+            'value': '9.9.9.9',
+        })
+        zone_normal.add_record(normal)
+
+        ignored = Record.new(zone_ignored, 'www', {
+            'octodns': {
+                'ignored': True
+            },
+            'ttl': 60,
+            'type': 'A',
+            'value': '9.9.9.9',
+        })
+        zone_ignored.add_record(ignored)
+
+        provider = SimpleProvider()
+
+        self.assertFalse(zone_normal.changes(zone_ignored, provider))
+        self.assertTrue(zone_normal.changes(zone_missing, provider))
+
+        self.assertFalse(zone_ignored.changes(zone_normal, provider))
+        self.assertFalse(zone_ignored.changes(zone_missing, provider))
+
+        self.assertTrue(zone_missing.changes(zone_normal, provider))
+        self.assertFalse(zone_missing.changes(zone_ignored, provider))