DNS Search Suffix: Multiple domains, multiple DNS servers

Question

I'm at work connected to workdomain.com

I use a client VPN connection to connect to homelab.com

Now if I ipconfig /all I get:

Windows IP Configuration
   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : WORKSTATION
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . : workdomain.com
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : workdomain.com
                                       homelab.com

Ethernet adapter VPN Client: (virtual NIC)
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : homelab.com
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VPN Client Adapter
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.homelab.69(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.254.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.homelab.router
   DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.homelab.dnsserver

   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.homelab.dnsserver
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection: (physical NIC)
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : workdomain.com
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.workdomain.169(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
   DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.workdomain.dnsserver

   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.workdomain.dnsserver
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

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But now, if I nslookup workdomain.com I get:

Server:  UnKnown
Address:  192.168.homelab.dnsserver

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    workdomain.com
Address:  63.230.public.ip

Since I am connected to both workdomain.com and homelab.com, I was expecting the DNS subsystem to be smart enough that it could say "Hey, I'm connected directly to the network that manages that server! I could ask their DNS server directly, and get an authoritative answer!" (This would give me the internal IP address for that server)

It seems what is happening tho is it's sending the query thru the VPN pipe to dns.homelab.com, which then forwards it out to WAN DNS, which then responds with the non-authoritative public IP for workdomain.com.

I know even with multiple DNS servers configured, it is normal that a client will choose a single one, send its DNS query, and even if the server responds that it could not be found, it will accept the answer and not try any other DNS servers it may have configured.

But, if I try nslookup workdomain.com dns.workdomain.com I get:

Server:  dns.workdomain.com
Address:  192.168.workdomain.dnsserver

Name:    workdomain.com
Address:  192.168.workdomain.dnsserver

(this is what I was expecting, what I want to happen!)

My questions are:

Is this the expected behavior of DNS clients on multiple domains, with multiple DNS Search Suffixes configured? Is it normal that even when connected directly to the workdomain.com network, and the domain search suffix is listed in the DNS Suffix Search List, that my client machine still route it's DNS query to dns.homelab.com? Why doesn't it recognize it's already on that network and try to get an authoritative answer?

Is there a configuration that will make my workstation use the local DNS server for *.workdomain.com queries? This is the behavior I was expecting. I'm studying for exams on this so it's as important for me to understand why as well as know how to change it.

Does the client VPN connection change WORKSTATION's preference of DNS server? If so, that may be o.k. for me. I'm trying to ensure our field service technicians can connect to our network from a customer site (which will likely have it's own domain suffix). If the client VPN connection automatically assumes the DNS server at the end of the pipe as priority, they should have no problem connecting to our internal resources.

Thank you! Thank you!

I'm running Win 7 SP1 Ultimate build 7601 on WORKSTATION.workdomain.com btw.

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EDIT:

So, I gave one scenario where this behavior could be an issue. You've already got our first use-case: a field service technician at customer site needs to access both internal customer domain resources and our resources here thru a VPN client connection, but customer-domain DNS requests are being routed around WAN.

But now let me offer another use-case that could have some more meaning to you! Say I'm back at home now connected to homelab.com and have my own personal resources I like to run, say a unsecured Wiki web server port 80, and a media server with SMB file shares and FTP and such. Now for my own personal privacy, I use a 3rd-party VPN service for my WAN connection. Now, I want to be able to access the internet securely & privately thru VPN, however I definitely do not want my DNS requests for server.homelab.com or even ftp.homelab.com (!) routed around the internet for who knows to see!!

There's gotta be a way for the DNS or TCP/IP subsystems to be smart enough to prefer a direct LAN connection over a client VPN connection. Or, and this was my first question, is this expected behavior here??