diff --git a/servers/slapd/backend.c b/servers/slapd/backend.c
index b003354219..1032008353 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/backend.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/backend.c
@@ -762,7 +762,7 @@ be_shadow_update( Operation *op )
 	/* This assumes that all internal ops (connid <= -1000) on a syncrepl
 	 * database are syncrepl operations.
 	 */
-	return (( SLAP_SYNC_SHADOW( op->o_bd ) && op->o_connid <= -1000 ) ||
+	return ( ( SLAP_SYNC_SHADOW( op->o_bd ) && SLAPD_SYNC_IS_SYNCCONN( op->o_connid ) ) ||
 		( SLAP_SHADOW( op->o_bd ) && be_isupdate_dn( op->o_bd, &op->o_ndn ) ) );
 }
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/slap.h b/servers/slapd/slap.h
index 6015dbf837..bc31eea45e 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/slap.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/slap.h
@@ -1701,6 +1701,11 @@ typedef BackendDB Backend;
 
 struct syncinfo_s;
 
+/* fake conn connid constructed as SLAPD_SYNC_CONN_OFFSET - rid */
+#define SLAPD_SYNC_SYNCCONN_OFFSET (-1000)
+#define SLAPD_SYNC_IS_SYNCCONN(connid) ((connid) <= SLAPD_SYNC_SYNCCONN_OFFSET)
+#define SLAPD_SYNC_RID2SYNCCONN(rid) (SLAPD_SYNC_SYNCCONN_OFFSET - (rid))
+
 #define SLAP_SYNC_RID_MAX	999
 #define SLAP_SYNC_SID_MAX	4095	/* based on liblutil/csn.c field width */
 #define SLAP_SYNCUUID_SET_SIZE 256
diff --git a/servers/slapd/syncrepl.c b/servers/slapd/syncrepl.c
index 414ab32506..a9b3d7150b 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/syncrepl.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/syncrepl.c
@@ -1354,7 +1354,7 @@ do_syncrepl(
 	connection_fake_init( &conn, &opbuf, ctx );
 	op = &opbuf.ob_op;
 	/* o_connids must be unique for slap_graduate_commit_csn */
-	op->o_connid = -1000 - si->si_rid;
+	op->o_connid = SLAPD_SYNC_RID2SYNCCONN(si->si_rid);
 
 	op->o_managedsait = SLAP_CONTROL_NONCRITICAL;
 	be = si->si_be;