In addition to its role in DNA-dependent transcription, RNA polymerase II (Pol II) possesses RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) activity (Lehmann et al, 2007). In a study published in this issue of The EMBO Journal, Wagner et al (2013) report the first native cellular function of the RdRP activity of Pol II. The authors find that a mammalian non-coding RNA (ncRNA) can serve as a template for its own extension by Pol II, resulting in its destabilization and a decrease in its potency to repress Pol II.