diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/add.c b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/add.c
index 3901900011..476043febe 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/add.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/add.c
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ retry:	/* transaction retry */
 		 * no parent!
 		 *  if not attempting to add entry at suffix or with parent ""
 		 */
-		if ((( !be_isroot( op ) && !be_isupdate(op) && !syncrepl_isupdate(op))
+		if ((( !be_isroot( op ) && !be_shadow_update(op) )
 			|| pdn.bv_len > 0 ) && !is_entry_glue( op->oq_add.rs_e ))
 		{
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/delete.c b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/delete.c
index feb7b81e9c..84758b89f8 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/delete.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/delete.c
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ retry:	/* transaction retry */
 		/* no parent, must be root to delete */
 		if( ! be_isroot( op ) ) {
 			if ( be_issuffix( op->o_bd, (struct berval *)&slap_empty_bv )
-				|| be_isupdate( op ) || syncrepl_isupdate( op ) ) {
+				|| be_shadow_update( op ) ) {
 				p = (Entry *)&slap_entry_root;
 
 				/* check parent for "children" acl */
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/modrdn.c b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/modrdn.c
index 9e3529be7f..ed817dedb8 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/modrdn.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/modrdn.c
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ retry:	/* transaction retry */
 		isroot = be_isroot( op );
 		if ( ! isroot ) {
 			if ( be_issuffix( op->o_bd, (struct berval *)&slap_empty_bv )
-				|| be_isupdate( op ) || syncrepl_isupdate( op ) ) {
+				|| be_shadow_update( op ) ) {
 
 				p = (Entry *)&slap_entry_root;
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldap/add.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldap/add.c
index 803bc4aef9..837f4d3a3a 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldap/add.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldap/add.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ ldap_back_add(
 	dc.ctx = "addAttrDN";
 #endif
 
-	isupdate = be_isupdate( op ) || syncrepl_isupdate( op );
+	isupdate = be_shadow_update( op );
 	for (i=0, a=op->oq_add.rs_e->e_attrs; a; a=a->a_next) {
 		if ( !isupdate && a->a_desc->ad_type->sat_no_user_mod  ) {
 			continue;
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldap/modify.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldap/modify.c
index c0670caf6a..95247cbeef 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldap/modify.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldap/modify.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ ldap_back_modify(
 	dc.ctx = "modifyAttrDN";
 #endif
 
-	isupdate = be_isupdate( op ) || syncrepl_isupdate( op );
+	isupdate = be_shadow_update( op );
 	for (i=0, ml=op->oq_modify.rs_modlist; ml; ml=ml->sml_next) {
 		int	is_oc = 0;
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/add.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/add.c
index d415b2ec09..e1dfbbbb8f 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/add.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/add.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ ldbm_back_add(
 	} else {
 		assert( pdn.bv_val == NULL || *pdn.bv_val == '\0' );
 
-		if (( !be_isroot(op) && !be_isupdate(op) && !syncrepl_isupdate(op))
+		if (( !be_isroot(op) && !be_shadow_update(op) )
 			&& !is_entry_glue( op->oq_add.rs_e ))
 		{
 			ldap_pvt_thread_rdwr_wunlock(&li->li_giant_rwlock);
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/delete.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/delete.c
index 24b9ac36b3..234b30a3ab 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/delete.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/delete.c
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ ldbm_back_delete(
 		/* no parent, must be root to delete */
 		if( ! be_isroot( op ) ) {
 			if ( be_issuffix( op->o_bd, (struct berval *)&slap_empty_bv )
-				|| be_isupdate( op ) || syncrepl_isupdate( op ) ) {
+				|| be_shadow_update( op ) ) {
 				p = (Entry *)&slap_entry_root;
 				
 				rc = access_allowed( op, p,
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/modrdn.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/modrdn.c
index acab4030da..ccc7bf9233 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/modrdn.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/modrdn.c
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ ldbm_back_modrdn(
 		isroot = be_isroot( op );
 		if ( ! isroot ) {
 			if ( be_issuffix( op->o_bd, (struct berval *)&slap_empty_bv )
-				|| be_isupdate( op ) || syncrepl_isupdate( op ) ) {
+				|| be_shadow_update( op ) ) {
 				int	can_access;
 				p = (Entry *)&slap_entry_root;
 				
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ ldbm_back_modrdn(
 
 			if ( ! isroot ) {
 				if ( be_issuffix( op->o_bd, (struct berval *)&slap_empty_bv )
-					|| be_isupdate( op ) || syncrepl_isupdate( op )) {
+					|| be_shadow_update( op ) ) {
 					int	can_access;
 					np = (Entry *)&slap_entry_root;
 				
diff --git a/servers/slapd/backend.c b/servers/slapd/backend.c
index db30adeb80..b8f4b17d00 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/backend.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/backend.c
@@ -728,9 +728,25 @@ be_isroot_dn( Backend *be, struct berval *ndn )
 }
 
 int
-be_isupdate( Operation *op )
+be_sync_update( Operation *op )
 {
-	return ( be_isupdate_dn( op->o_bd, &op->o_ndn ));
+	return ( SLAP_SYNC_SHADOW( op->o_bd ) && syncrepl_isupdate( op ) );
+}
+
+int
+be_slurp_update( Operation *op )
+{
+	return ( SLAP_SLURP_SHADOW( op->o_bd ) && be_isupdate_dn( op->o_bd, &op->o_ndn ));
+}
+
+int
+be_shadow_update( Operation *op )
+{
+#if 0
+	return ( be_sync_update( op ) || be_slurp_update( op ) );
+#endif
+	/* NOTE: this is slightly more efficient */
+	return ( SLAP_SHADOW( op->o_bd ) && ( syncrepl_isupdate( op ) || be_isupdate_dn( op->o_bd, &op->o_ndn ) ) );
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/servers/slapd/overlays/rwm.c b/servers/slapd/overlays/rwm.c
index 9443ad27e0..5962963381 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/overlays/rwm.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/overlays/rwm.c
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ rwm_add( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 	}
 
 	/* Count number of attributes in entry */ 
-	isupdate = be_isupdate( op ) || syncrepl_isupdate( op );
+	isupdate = be_shadow_update( op );
 	for ( i = 0, ap = &op->oq_add.rs_e->e_attrs; *ap; ) {
 		struct berval	mapped;
 		Attribute	*a;
diff --git a/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h b/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
index 655d26cbcf..0400c5282a 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
@@ -225,7 +225,10 @@ LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) be_issuffix LDAP_P(( Backend *be,
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) be_isroot LDAP_P(( Operation *op ));
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) be_isroot_dn LDAP_P(( Backend *be, struct berval *ndn ));
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) be_isroot_pw LDAP_P(( Operation *op ));
-LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) be_isupdate LDAP_P(( Operation *op ));
+LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) be_sync_update LDAP_P(( Operation *op ));
+LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) be_slurp_update LDAP_P(( Operation *op ));
+#define be_isupdate( op ) be_slurp_update( (op) )
+LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) be_shadow_update LDAP_P(( Operation *op ));
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) be_isupdate_dn LDAP_P(( Backend *be, struct berval *ndn ));
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (struct berval *) be_root_dn LDAP_P(( Backend *be ));
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) be_entry_get_rw LDAP_P(( struct slap_op *o,
diff --git a/servers/slapd/slap.h b/servers/slapd/slap.h
index ae03413eb7..bd4f74b92a 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/slap.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/slap.h
@@ -1450,9 +1450,9 @@ struct slap_backend_db {
 #define SLAP_DBFLAG_NOLASTMOD		0x0001U
 #define SLAP_DBFLAG_NO_SCHEMA_CHECK	0x0002U
 #define	SLAP_DBFLAG_GLUE_INSTANCE	0x0010U	/* a glue backend */
-#define	SLAP_DBFLAG_GLUE_SUBORDINATE 0x0020U	/* child of a glue hierarchy */
+#define	SLAP_DBFLAG_GLUE_SUBORDINATE	0x0020U	/* child of a glue hierarchy */
 #define	SLAP_DBFLAG_GLUE_LINKED		0x0040U	/* child is connected to parent */
-#define SLAP_DBFLAG_SHADOW			0x8000U /* a shadow */
+#define SLAP_DBFLAG_SHADOW		0x8000U /* a shadow */
 #define SLAP_DBFLAG_SYNC_SHADOW		0x1000U /* a sync shadow */
 #define SLAP_DBFLAG_SLURP_SHADOW	0x2000U /* a slurp shadow */
 	slap_mask_t	be_flags;
@@ -1468,6 +1468,8 @@ struct slap_backend_db {
 #define	SLAP_GLUE_LINKED(be)		\
 	(SLAP_DBFLAGS(be) & SLAP_DBFLAG_GLUE_LINKED)
 #define SLAP_SHADOW(be)				(SLAP_DBFLAGS(be) & SLAP_DBFLAG_SHADOW)
+#define SLAP_SYNC_SHADOW(be)			(SLAP_DBFLAGS(be) & SLAP_DBFLAG_SYNC_SHADOW)
+#define SLAP_SLURP_SHADOW(be)			(SLAP_DBFLAGS(be) & SLAP_DBFLAG_SLURP_SHADOW)
 
 	slap_mask_t	be_restrictops;		/* restriction operations */
 #define SLAP_RESTRICT_OP_ADD		0x0001U