diff --git a/servers/slapd/bconfig.c b/servers/slapd/bconfig.c
index 0621f4ef7b..50e1b8214e 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/bconfig.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/bconfig.c
@@ -3313,6 +3313,7 @@ config_modify_internal( CfEntryInfo *ce, Operation *op, SlapReply *rs,
 					ca->valx = -1;
 					ca->line = NULL;
 					rc = config_del_vals( ct, ca );
+					if ( rc ) rc = LDAP_OTHER;
 				}
 				if ( ml->sml_values ) {
 					ch_free( dels );
diff --git a/servers/slapd/config.c b/servers/slapd/config.c
index 96d28a3e8b..b91bf6bb40 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/config.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/config.c
@@ -485,6 +485,8 @@ config_parse_vals(ConfigTable *ct, ConfigArgs *c, int valx)
 	} else {
 		rc = config_check_vals( ct, c, 1 );
 	}
+	if ( rc )
+		rc = LDAP_CONSTRAINT_VIOLATION;
 
 	ch_free( c->tline );
 	return rc;