diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldif/ldif.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldif/ldif.c
index 55f168e188..b0aafa6740 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldif/ldif.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldif/ldif.c
@@ -1836,6 +1836,9 @@ ldif_tool_entry_open( BackendDB *be, int mode )
 {
 	struct ldif_tool *tl = &((struct ldif_info *) be->be_private)->li_tool;
 
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	tl->ecurrent = 0;
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1847,6 +1850,9 @@ ldif_tool_entry_close( BackendDB *be )
 	Entry **entries = tl->entries;
 	ID i;
 
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	for ( i = tl->ecount; i--; )
 		if ( entries[i] )
 			entry_free( entries[i] );
@@ -1947,6 +1953,9 @@ ldif_tool_entry_put( BackendDB *be, Entry *e, struct berval *text )
 	char *parentdir;
 	Operation op = {0};
 
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	op.o_bd = be;
 	rc = ldif_prepare_create( &op, e, &path, &parentdir, &errmsg );
 	if ( rc == LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/tools.c b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/tools.c
index 00de36e930..39767837f9 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/tools.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/tools.c
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ mdb_tool_entry_get_int( BackendDB *be, ID id, Entry **ep );
 int mdb_tool_entry_open(
 	BackendDB *be, int mode )
 {
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	/* In Quick mode, commit once per 500 entries */
 	mdb_writes = 0;
 	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_QUICK )
@@ -147,6 +150,9 @@ int mdb_tool_entry_open(
 int mdb_tool_entry_close(
 	BackendDB *be )
 {
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 #ifdef MDB_TOOL_IDL_CACHING
 	if ( mdb_tool_info ) {
 		int i;
@@ -652,6 +658,9 @@ ID mdb_tool_entry_put(
 	Operation op = {0};
 	Opheader ohdr = {0};
 
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	assert( be != NULL );
 	assert( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_MODE );
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ndb/tools.cpp b/servers/slapd/back-ndb/tools.cpp
index 82187da658..251e21aea2 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ndb/tools.cpp
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ndb/tools.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ int ndb_tool_entry_open(
 {
 	struct ndb_info *ni = (struct ndb_info *) be->be_private;
 
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	myNdb = new Ndb( ni->ni_cluster[0], ni->ni_dbname );
 	return myNdb->init(1024);
 }
@@ -70,6 +73,9 @@ extern "C"
 int ndb_tool_entry_close(
 	BackendDB *be )
 {
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	if ( myPutTxn ) {
 		int rc = myPutTxn->execute(NdbTransaction::Commit);
 		if( rc != 0 ) {
@@ -408,6 +414,9 @@ ID ndb_tool_entry_put(
 	assert( text->bv_val != NULL );
 	assert( text->bv_val[0] == '\0' );	/* overconservative? */
 
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE, "=> " LDAP_XSTRING(ndb_tool_entry_put)
 		"( %ld, \"%s\" )\n", (long) e->e_id, e->e_dn, 0 );
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-wt/tools.c b/servers/slapd/back-wt/tools.c
index 63b63bef89..cb66db9a8d 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-wt/tools.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-wt/tools.c
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ wt_tool_entry_open( BackendDB *be, int mode )
     struct wt_info *wi = (struct wt_info *) be->be_private;
 	int rc;
 
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	wc = wt_ctx_init(wi);
     if( !wc ){
 		Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ANY,
@@ -71,6 +74,9 @@ wt_tool_entry_open( BackendDB *be, int mode )
 int
 wt_tool_entry_close( BackendDB *be )
 {
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	if( reader ) {
 		reader->close(reader);
 		reader = NULL;
@@ -300,6 +306,9 @@ wt_tool_entry_put( BackendDB *be, Entry *e, struct berval *text )
 	Operation op = {0};
 	Opheader ohdr = {0};
 
+	if ( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN )
+		return 0;
+
 	assert( slapMode & SLAP_TOOL_MODE );
 	assert( text != NULL );
 	assert( text->bv_val != NULL );
diff --git a/servers/slapd/slap.h b/servers/slapd/slap.h
index 89d3aa4ae4..d3ad3dd666 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/slap.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/slap.h
@@ -1607,6 +1607,7 @@ LDAP_SLAPD_V (int) slapMode;
 #define	SLAP_TOOL_QUICK		0x0800
 #define SLAP_TOOL_NO_SCHEMA_CHECK	0x1000
 #define SLAP_TOOL_VALUE_CHECK	0x2000
+#define SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN	0x4000
 
 #define SLAP_SERVER_RUNNING	0x8000
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/slapadd.c b/servers/slapd/slapadd.c
index 7bc21b5505..8a52cdb937 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/slapadd.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/slapadd.c
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ slapadd( int argc, char **argv )
 		SLAP_DBFLAGS(be) &= ~(SLAP_DBFLAG_NO_SCHEMA_CHECK);
 	}
 
-	if( !dryrun && be->be_entry_open( be, 1 ) != 0 ) {
+	if( be->be_entry_open && be->be_entry_open( be, 1 ) != 0 ) {
 		fprintf( stderr, "%s: could not open database.\n",
 			progname );
 		exit( EXIT_FAILURE );
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ slapadd( int argc, char **argv )
 			break;
 		}
 
-		if ( !dryrun ) {
+		if ( be->be_entry_put ) {
 			/*
 			 * Initialize text buffer
 			 */
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ slapadd( int argc, char **argv )
 
 	ch_free( buf );
 
-	if ( !dryrun ) {
+	if ( be->be_entry_close ) {
 		if ( enable_meter ) {
 			fprintf( stderr, "Closing DB..." );
 		}
diff --git a/servers/slapd/slapcommon.c b/servers/slapd/slapcommon.c
index 09b2215466..73900a825c 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/slapcommon.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/slapcommon.c
@@ -554,6 +554,7 @@ slap_tool_init(
 
 		case 'u':	/* dry run */
 			dryrun++;
+			mode |= SLAP_TOOL_DRYRUN;
 			break;
 
 		case 'v':	/* turn on verbose */