diff --git a/servers/slapd/config.c b/servers/slapd/config.c
index cee2fe9e3d..4912fe71a0 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/config.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/config.c
@@ -748,6 +748,27 @@ read_config( const char *fname )
 
 #endif
 
+#ifdef SLAPD_EXTERNAL_EXTENSIONS
+		} else if ( !strcasecmp( cargv[0], "extension" ) ) {
+			if ( cargc < 2 ) {
+				Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ANY,
+						"%s: line %d: missing oid in \"extension <oid> <libpath>\" line\n",
+						fname, lineno, 0 );
+			} else if ( cargc < 3 ) {
+				Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ANY,
+						"%s: line %d: missing libpath in \"extension <oid> <libpath>\" line\n",
+						fname, lineno, 0 );
+			} else {
+				rc = load_extension(cargv[1], cargv[2], cargc - 3, (cargc > 3) ? cargv + 3 : NULL);
+				if (rc != 0) {
+					Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ANY,
+							"%s: line %d: failed to load or initialize extension library %s\n",
+							fname, lineno, cargv[2]);
+					return rc;
+				}
+			}
+#endif
+
 		/* pass anything else to the current backend info/db config routine */
 		} else {
 			if ( bi != NULL ) {