diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/attribute.c b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/attribute.c
index c98279871e..0bce1e0d5d 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/attribute.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/attribute.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ bdb_attribute(
 	Connection *conn,
 	Operation *op,
 	Entry *target,
-	const char *e_ndn,
+	const char *entry_ndn,
 	AttributeDescription *entry_at,
 	struct berval ***vals )
 {
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ bdb_attribute(
 
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING
 	LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_ARGS,
-		"bdb_attribute: gr dn: \"%s\"\n", e_ndn ));
+		"bdb_attribute: gr dn: \"%s\"\n", entry_ndn ));
 	LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_ARGS,
 		"bdb_attribute: at: \"%s\"\n", entry_at_name));
 	LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_ARGS,
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ bdb_attribute(
 #else
 	Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS,
 		"=> bdb_attribute: gr dn: \"%s\"\n",
-		e_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
+		entry_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
 	Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS,
 		"=> bdb_attribute: at: \"%s\"\n", 
 		entry_at_name, 0, 0 ); 
@@ -58,23 +58,23 @@ bdb_attribute(
 		target ? target->e_ndn : "", 0, 0 ); 
 #endif
 
-	if (target != NULL && strcmp(target->e_ndn, e_ndn) == 0) {
+	if (target != NULL && strcmp(target->e_ndn, entry_ndn) == 0) {
 		/* we already have a LOCKED copy of the entry */
 		e = target;
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING
 		LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_DETAIL1,
 			"bdb_attribute: target is LOCKED (%s)\n",
-			e_ndn ));
+			entry_ndn ));
 #else
 		Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS,
 			"=> bdb_attribute: target is entry: \"%s\"\n",
-			e_ndn, 0, 0 );
+			entry_ndn, 0, 0 );
 #endif
 
 
 	} else {
 		/* can we find entry */
-		rc = bdb_dn2entry( be, NULL, e_ndn, &e, NULL, 0 );
+		rc = bdb_dn2entry( be, NULL, entry_ndn, &e, NULL, 0 );
 		switch( rc ) {
 		case DB_NOTFOUND:
 		case 0:
@@ -86,11 +86,11 @@ bdb_attribute(
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING
 			LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_INFO,
 				"bdb_attribute: cannot find entry (%s)\n",
-				e_ndn ));
+				entry_ndn ));
 #else
 			Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ACL,
 				"=> bdb_attribute: cannot find entry: \"%s\"\n",
-					e_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
+					entry_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
 #endif
 			return LDAP_NO_SUCH_OBJECT; 
 		}
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ bdb_attribute(
 #else
 		Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ACL,
 			"=> bdb_attribute: found entry: \"%s\"\n",
-			e_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
+			entry_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
 #endif
 	}
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/proto-bdb.h b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/proto-bdb.h
index 64b682689d..88e9bb87f1 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/proto-bdb.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/proto-bdb.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ void bdb_attr_index_destroy LDAP_P(( Avlnode *tree ));
 
 int
 bdb_attribute LDAP_P(( Backend *be, Connection *conn, Operation *op,
-	Entry *target, const char *e_ndn, AttributeDescription *entry_at,
+	Entry *target, const char *entry_ndn, AttributeDescription *entry_at,
 	struct berval ***vals ));
 
 /*
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/attribute.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/attribute.c
index 9dffdce630..e07d1ea27b 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/attribute.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/attribute.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ ldbm_back_attribute(
 	Connection *conn,
 	Operation *op,
 	Entry	*target,
-	const char	*e_ndn,
+	const char	*entry_ndn,
 	AttributeDescription *entry_at,
 	struct berval ***vals )
 {
@@ -39,16 +39,16 @@ ldbm_back_attribute(
 
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING
 	LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_ARGS,
-		   "ldbm_back_attribute: gr dn: \"%s\"\n", e_ndn ));
+		"ldbm_back_attribute: gr dn: \"%s\"\n", entry_ndn ));
 	LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_ARGS,
-		   "ldbm_back_attribute: at: \"%s\"\n", entry_at_name));
+		"ldbm_back_attribute: at: \"%s\"\n", entry_at_name));
 	LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_ARGS,
-		   "ldbm_back_attribute: tr dn: \"%s\"\n",
-		   target ? target->e_ndn : "" ));
+		"ldbm_back_attribute: tr dn: \"%s\"\n",
+		target ? target->e_ndn : "" ));
 #else
 	Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS,
 		"=> ldbm_back_attribute: gr dn: \"%s\"\n",
-		e_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
+		entry_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
 	Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS,
 		"=> ldbm_back_attribute: at: \"%s\"\n", 
 		entry_at_name, 0, 0 ); 
@@ -58,31 +58,31 @@ ldbm_back_attribute(
 		target ? target->e_ndn : "", 0, 0 ); 
 #endif
 
-	if (target != NULL && strcmp(target->e_ndn, e_ndn) == 0) {
+	if (target != NULL && strcmp(target->e_ndn, entry_ndn) == 0) {
 		/* we already have a LOCKED copy of the entry */
 		e = target;
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING
 		LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_DETAIL1,
-			   "ldbm_back_attribute: target is LOCKED (%s)\n",
-			   e_ndn ));
+			"ldbm_back_attribute: target is LOCKED (%s)\n",
+			entry_ndn ));
 #else
 		Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS,
 			"=> ldbm_back_attribute: target is entry: \"%s\"\n",
-			e_ndn, 0, 0 );
+			entry_ndn, 0, 0 );
 #endif
 
 
 	} else {
 		/* can we find entry with reader lock */
-		if ((e = dn2entry_r(be, e_ndn, NULL )) == NULL) {
+		if ((e = dn2entry_r(be, entry_ndn, NULL )) == NULL) {
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING
 			LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_INFO,
-				   "ldbm_back_attribute: cannot find entry (%s)\n",
-				   e_ndn ));
+				"ldbm_back_attribute: cannot find entry (%s)\n",
+				entry_ndn ));
 #else
 			Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ACL,
 				"=> ldbm_back_attribute: cannot find entry: \"%s\"\n",
-					e_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
+					entry_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
 #endif
 
 			return LDAP_NO_SUCH_OBJECT; 
@@ -90,11 +90,11 @@ ldbm_back_attribute(
 		
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING
 		LDAP_LOG(( "backend", LDAP_LEVEL_DETAIL1,
-			   "ldbm_back_attribute: found entry (%s)\n", e_ndn ));
+			"ldbm_back_attribute: found entry (%s)\n", entry_ndn ));
 #else
 		Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ACL,
 			"=> ldbm_back_attribute: found entry: \"%s\"\n",
-			e_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
+			entry_ndn, 0, 0 ); 
 #endif
 
     }
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/external.h b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/external.h
index 243b1bc1ea..9e1e33a635 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/external.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/external.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ extern int	ldbm_back_group LDAP_P(( BackendDB *bd,
 extern int	ldbm_back_attribute LDAP_P(( BackendDB *bd,
 	Connection *conn, Operation *op,
 	Entry *target,
-	const char* e_ndn,
+	const char* entry_ndn,
 	AttributeDescription* entry_at,
 	struct berval ***vals));
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/backend.c b/servers/slapd/backend.c
index 2e06be0309..c44efa33b4 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/backend.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/backend.c
@@ -1057,15 +1057,17 @@ backend_attribute(
 	Connection *conn,
 	Operation *op,
 	Entry	*target,
-	const char	*e_ndn,
+	const char	*entry_ndn,
 	AttributeDescription *entry_at,
 	struct berval ***vals
 )
 {
-	if( target == NULL || strcmp( target->e_ndn, e_ndn ) != 0 ) {
+	if( target == NULL ||
+		strcmp( target->e_ndn, entry_ndn ) != 0 )
+	{
 		/* we won't attempt to send it to a different backend */
 		
-		be = select_backend(e_ndn, 0,
+		be = select_backend(entry_ndn, 0,
 			(be->be_glueflags & SLAP_GLUE_INSTANCE));
 
 		if (be == NULL) {
@@ -1074,7 +1076,7 @@ backend_attribute(
 	} 
 
 	if( be->be_attribute ) {
-		return be->be_attribute( be, conn, op, target, e_ndn,
+		return be->be_attribute( be, conn, op, target, entry_ndn,
 			entry_at, vals );
 	}
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/dn.c b/servers/slapd/dn.c
index ad0126807e..ed81bf5a14 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/dn.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/dn.c
@@ -1078,21 +1078,22 @@ rdn_validate( const char * rdn )
 
 void
 build_new_dn( char ** new_dn,
-	const char *e_dn,
-	const char * p_dn,
+	const char * entry_dn,
+	const char * parent_dn,
 	const char * newrdn )
 {
 
-	if ( p_dn == NULL ) {
+	if ( parent_dn == NULL ) {
 		*new_dn = ch_strdup( newrdn );
 		return;
 	}
 
-	*new_dn = (char *) ch_malloc( strlen( p_dn ) + strlen( newrdn ) + 3 );
+	*new_dn = (char *) ch_malloc(
+		strlen( parent_dn ) + strlen( newrdn ) + 3 );
 
 	strcpy( *new_dn, newrdn );
 	strcat( *new_dn, "," );
-	strcat( *new_dn, p_dn );
+	strcat( *new_dn, parent_dn );
 }
 
 #endif /* SLAP_DN_MIGRATION */
diff --git a/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h b/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
index dc338a64b4..f6f019ffef 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) backend_attribute LDAP_P((BackendDB *be,
 	Connection *conn,
 	Operation *op,
 	Entry *target,
-	const char *e_ndn,
+	const char *entry_ndn,
 	AttributeDescription *entry_at,
 	struct berval ***vals
 ));
@@ -365,8 +365,8 @@ LDAP_SLAPD_F (char *) rdn_attr_type LDAP_P(( const char * rdn ));
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (int) rdn_attrs LDAP_P(( const char * rdn, char ***ptypes, char ***pvals ));
 
 LDAP_SLAPD_F (void) build_new_dn LDAP_P(( char ** new_dn,
-	const char *e_dn,
-	const char * p_dn,
+	const char * entry_dn,
+	const char * parent_dn,
 	const char * newrdn ));
 #endif
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/slap.h b/servers/slapd/slap.h
index 86e828de5d..14188aa8de 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/slap.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/slap.h
@@ -637,8 +637,13 @@ typedef struct slap_entry {
 	 */
 	ID		e_id;
 
-	char		*e_dn;		/* DN of this entry */
-	char		*e_ndn;		/* normalized DN of this entry */
+	struct berval e_name;	/* name (DN) of this entry */
+	struct berval e_nname;	/* normalized name (DN) of this entry */
+
+	/* for migration purposes */
+#define e_dn e_name.bv_val
+#define e_ndn e_name.bv_val
+
 	Attribute	*e_attrs;	/* list of attributes + values */
 
 	/* for use by the backend for any purpose */