diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-monitor/conn.c b/servers/slapd/back-monitor/conn.c
index 56ad47960a..a91034d388 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-monitor/conn.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-monitor/conn.c
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ monitor_subsys_conn_create(
 	       
 		/* create exactly the required entry */
 
-		if ( dnExtractRdn( ndn->bv_val, &rdn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
+		if ( dnExtractRdn( ndn, &rdn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
 			return( -1 );
 		}
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/dn.c b/servers/slapd/dn.c
index 449808b3d1..95382c8f24 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/dn.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/dn.c
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ dn_parent(
 
 int
 dnExtractRdn( 
-	const char	*dn, 
+	struct berval	*dn, 
 	struct berval 	**rdn )
 {
 	LDAPRDN		*tmpRDN;
@@ -616,7 +616,11 @@ dnExtractRdn(
 	assert( dn );
 	assert( rdn );
 
-	rc = ldap_str2rdn( dn, &tmpRDN, &p, LDAP_DN_FORMAT_LDAP );
+	if( dn->bv_len == 0 ) {
+		return LDAP_OTHER;
+	}
+
+	rc = ldap_str2rdn( dn->bv_val, &tmpRDN, &p, LDAP_DN_FORMAT_LDAP );
 	if ( rc != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
 		return rc;
 	}
@@ -644,6 +648,7 @@ dn_rdnlen(
 	Backend		*be,
 	const char	*dn_in )
 {
+	struct berval bv;
 	struct berval	*rdn = NULL;
 	int		retval = 0;
 
@@ -665,7 +670,10 @@ dn_rdnlen(
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if ( dnExtractRdn( dn_in, &rdn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
+	bv.bv_val = (char *) dn_in;
+	bv.bv_len = strlen( bv.bv_val );
+
+	if ( dnExtractRdn( &bv, &rdn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
 		ber_bvfree( rdn );
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -683,6 +691,7 @@ char * dn_rdn(
 	Backend	*be,
 	const char	*dn_in )
 {
+	struct berval	bv;
 	struct berval	*rdn = NULL;
 	char		*retval;
 
@@ -704,7 +713,10 @@ char * dn_rdn(
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	if ( dnExtractRdn( dn_in, &rdn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
+	bv.bv_val = (char *) dn_in;
+	bv.bv_len = strlen( bv.bv_val );
+
+	if ( dnExtractRdn( &bv, &rdn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
 		ber_bvfree( rdn );
 		return NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h b/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
index 15cde0736d..1f9e392408 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) dnIsSuffix LDAP_P((
 	const struct berval *dn, const struct berval *suffix ));
 
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) dnExtractRdn LDAP_P((
-	const char *dn, struct berval **rdn ));
+	struct berval *dn, struct berval **rdn ));
 
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) rdnValidate LDAP_P(( struct berval * rdn ));