diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Nat.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Nat.pm
index bec89ed9a..bd62a0ab5 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Nat.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Nat.pm
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ sub setup_nat() {
 
 	while ( read_a_line ) {
 
-	    my ( $external, $interfacelist, $internal, $allints, $localnat ) = split_line1 'nat file', { external => 1, interface => 1, internal => 2, allints => 3, localnat => 4 };
+	    my ( $external, $interfacelist, $internal, $allints, $localnat ) = split_line1 'nat file', { external => 0, interface => 1, internal => 2, allints => 3, localnat => 4 };
 
 	    if ( $external eq 'COMMENT' ) {
 		process_comment;
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm
index 17c0b851a..e0c1d061f 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm
@@ -1777,7 +1777,7 @@ sub process_rule1 ( $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $) {
 
     if ( $actiontype & (NATRULE | NONAT | NATONLY ) ) {
 	$targets{$inaction} |= NATRULE if $inaction;
-	fatal_error "NAT rules are not allowed in the BLACKLIST section" if $blacklist;
+	fatal_error "NAT rules are only allowed in the NEW section" unless $section eq 'NEW';
     }
     #
     # Take care of irregular syntax and targets
@@ -2172,11 +2172,11 @@ sub process_rule1 ( $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $) {
 	my $chn;
 
 	if ( $inaction ) {
-	    $nonat_chain = ensure_chain 'nat', $chain;
+	    $nonat_chain = ensure_chain( 'nat', $chain );
 	} elsif ( $sourceref->{type} == FIREWALL ) {
 	    $nonat_chain = $nat_table->{OUTPUT};
 	} else {
-	    $nonat_chain = ensure_chain 'nat', dnat_chain $sourcezone;
+	    $nonat_chain = ensure_chain( 'nat', dnat_chain( $sourcezone ) );
 
 	    my @interfaces = keys %{zone_interfaces $sourcezone};
 
@@ -2217,6 +2217,8 @@ sub process_rule1 ( $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $) {
 	    }
 	}
 
+	dont_move( dont_optimize( $nonat_chain ) ) if $tgt eq 'RETURN';
+
 	expand_rule( $nonat_chain ,
 		     PREROUTE_RESTRICT ,
 		     $rule ,
@@ -2228,19 +2230,6 @@ sub process_rule1 ( $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $) {
 		     $log_action ,
 		     '',
 		   );
-	#
-	# Possible optimization if the rule just generated was a simple jump to the nonat chain
-	#
-	if ( $chn && ${$nonat_chain->{rules}}[-1] eq "-A -j $tgt" ) {
-	    #
-	    # It was -- delete that rule
-	    #
-	    pop @{$nonat_chain->{rules}};
-	    #
-	    # And move the rules from the nonat chain to the zone dnat chain
-	    #
-	    move_rules ( $chn, $nonat_chain );
-	}
     }
 
     #
@@ -2251,6 +2240,8 @@ sub process_rule1 ( $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $) {
 	if ( $actiontype & ACTION ) {
 	    $action = $usedactions{$normalized_target}{name};
 	    $loglevel = '';
+	} else {
+	    dont_move( dont_optimize ( $chainref ) ) if $action eq 'RETURN';
 	}
 
 	if ( $origdest ) {
@@ -2265,7 +2256,7 @@ sub process_rule1 ( $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $) {
 
 	verify_audit( $action ) if $actiontype & AUDIT;
 
-	expand_rule( ensure_chain( 'filter', $chain ) ,
+	expand_rule( $chainref ,
 		     $restriction ,
 		     $rule ,
 		     $source ,