diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/add.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/add.c
index 75dd12b1b2..77c92d220a 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/add.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/add.c
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ ldbm_back_add(
 	if ( (pdn = dn_parent( be, dn )) != NULL ) {
 		char *matched;
 		/* no parent */
-		matched = NULL;
 
 		/* get entry with reader lock */
 		if ( (p = dn2entry_r( be, pdn, &matched )) == NULL ) {
@@ -90,6 +89,7 @@ ldbm_back_add(
 			    0, 0 );
 			send_ldap_result( conn, op, LDAP_NO_SUCH_OBJECT,
 			    matched, "" );
+
 			if ( matched != NULL ) {
 				free( matched );
 			}
@@ -97,9 +97,6 @@ ldbm_back_add(
 			rc = -1;
 			goto return_results;
 		}
-		if ( matched != NULL ) {
-			free( matched );
-		}
 
 		if ( ! access_allowed( be, conn, op, p, "children", NULL,
 		    op->o_dn, ACL_WRITE ) ) {
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/alias.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/alias.c
index 5285087078..92eca6c6df 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/alias.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/alias.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ char *derefDN ( Backend     *be,
 )
 {
   struct ldbminfo *li = (struct ldbminfo *) be->be_private;
-  char 	*matched = NULL;
+  char 	*matched;
   char 	*newDN = NULL;
   int	depth;
   Entry 	*eMatched;
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ char *derefDN ( Backend     *be,
     /* free reader lock */
     cache_return_entry_r(&li->li_cache, eMatched);
 
-    if (*matched) {	
+    if ((matched != NULL) && *matched) {	
       char *submatch;
       
       /* 
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ char *derefDN ( Backend     *be,
 	
 	if ((eNew = derefAlias_r( be, conn, op, eMatched )) == NULL) {
 	  free (matched);
+	  matched = NULL;
 	  free (newDN);
 	  newDN = NULL;
 	  free (remainder);
@@ -169,6 +170,7 @@ char *derefDN ( Backend     *be,
 	    free (newDN);
 	    newDN = NULL;
 	    free (matched);
+	    matched = NULL;
 	    free (remainder);
 	    break;
 	  }
@@ -178,13 +180,13 @@ char *derefDN ( Backend     *be,
 	   * the new dn together
 	   */
 	  free (newDN);
-	  free (matched);
-	  
 	  newDN = ch_malloc (strlen(eMatched->e_dn) + rlen + 1);
 	  strcpy (newDN, remainder);
 	  strcat (newDN, eMatched->e_dn);
 	  Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE, "<= expanded to %s\n", newDN, 0, 0 );
 
+	  free (matched);
+	  matched = NULL;
 	  free (remainder);
 
           /* free reader lock */
@@ -234,7 +236,7 @@ char *derefDN ( Backend     *be,
   }
   
   Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE, "<= returning deref DN of  %s\n", newDN, 0, 0 ); 
-  free(matched);
+  if (matched != NULL) free(matched);
 
   return newDN;
 }
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/bind.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/bind.c
index 591e488c9c..cb59ab0349 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/bind.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/bind.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ ldbm_back_bind(
 	Entry		*e;
 	Attribute	*a;
 	int		rc;
-	char		*matched = NULL;
+	char		*matched;
 #ifdef HAVE_KERBEROS
 	char		krbname[MAX_K_NAME_SZ + 1];
 	AUTH_DAT	ad;
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/compare.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/compare.c
index d17c5da88a..29f654751c 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/compare.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/compare.c
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ ldbm_back_compare(
 	/* get entry with reader lock */
 	if ( (e = dn2entry_r( be, dn, &matched )) == NULL ) {
 		send_ldap_result( conn, op, LDAP_NO_SUCH_OBJECT, matched, "" );
+
+		if(matched == NULL) free(matched);
 		return( 1 );
 	}
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/delete.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/delete.c
index 7e0008ba80..64723229f9 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/delete.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/delete.c
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ ldbm_back_delete(
 )
 {
 	struct ldbminfo	*li = (struct ldbminfo *) be->be_private;
-	char		*matched = NULL;
+	char		*matched;
         char            *pdn = NULL;
 	Entry		*e, *p;
 
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ ldbm_back_delete(
 
 	/* XXX delete from parent's id2children entry XXX */
 	pdn = dn_parent( be, dn );
-	matched = NULL;
 	p = dn2entry_r( be, pdn, &matched );
 	if ( id2children_remove( be, p, e ) != 0 ) {
 		send_ldap_result( conn, op, LDAP_OPERATIONS_ERROR, "","" );
@@ -93,9 +92,11 @@ ldbm_back_delete(
 
 	/* free entry and writer lock */
 	cache_return_entry_w( &li->li_cache, e );
-	if ( p )
+	if ( p != NULL )
 		cache_return_entry_r( &li->li_cache, p );
 
+	if ( matched != NULL ) free(matched);
+
 	send_ldap_result( conn, op, LDAP_SUCCESS, "", "" );
 
 	return( 0 );
@@ -104,8 +105,10 @@ error_return:;
 	/* free entry and writer lock */
 	cache_return_entry_w( &li->li_cache, e );
 
-	if( p )
+	if( p != NULL )
 		cache_return_entry_r( &li->li_cache, p );
 
+	if ( matched != NULL ) free(matched);
+
 	return( -1 );
 }
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/dn2id.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/dn2id.c
index 593107cc2c..ae0f62d8dd 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/dn2id.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/dn2id.c
@@ -166,18 +166,19 @@ dn2entry(
 {
 	struct ldbminfo *li = (struct ldbminfo *) be->be_private;
 	ID		id;
-	Entry		*e;
+	Entry		*e = NULL;
 	char		*pdn;
 
 	Debug(LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE, "dn2entry_%s: dn: %s\n",
 		rw ? "w" : "r", dn, 0);
 
+	*matched = NULL;
+
 	if ( (id = dn2id( be, dn )) != NOID &&
 		(e = id2entry( be, id, rw )) != NULL )
 	{
 		return( e );
 	}
-	*matched = NULL;
 
 	/* stop when we get to the suffix */
 	if ( be_issuffix( be, dn ) ) {
@@ -199,19 +200,6 @@ dn2entry(
 	return( NULL );
 }
 
-#if 0
-		if (e->e_state == ENTRY_STATE_DELETED)
-			continue;
-
-		if (strcmp(dn, e->e_dn) != 0)
-			continue;
-
-		/* return locked entry entry */
-		return(e);
-	}
-}
-#endif
-
 Entry *
 dn2entry_r(
 	Backend	*be,
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/group.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/group.c
index 7def923a4d..a889041c25 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/group.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/group.c
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ ldbm_back_group(
                         free(matched);
                 return( 1 );
         }
-        Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS, "=> ldbm_back_group: found bdn: %s matched: %s\n", bdn, (matched ? matched : ""), 0 ); 
+
+        Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS, "=> ldbm_back_group: found bdn: %s\n", bdn, 0, 0 ); 
 
         /* check for deleted */
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/modify.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/modify.c
index 7b0d141d0f..2f74c108f1 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/modify.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/modify.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ ldbm_back_modify(
 )
 {
 	struct ldbminfo	*li = (struct ldbminfo *) be->be_private;
-	char		*matched = NULL;
+	char		*matched;
 	Entry		*e;
 	int		i, err;
 	LDAPMod		*mod;
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/search.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/search.c
index 4b25fe66cd..65d78af635 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/search.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/search.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ ldbm_back_search(
 	ID		id;
 	Entry		*e;
 	Attribute	*ref;
-	char		*matched = NULL;
+	char		*matched;
 	int		rmaxsize, nrefs;
 	char		*rbuf, *rcur, *r;
 	int		nentries = 0;