diff --git a/servers/slapd/filterentry.c b/servers/slapd/filterentry.c
index e61922e79f..77f191256b 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/filterentry.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/filterentry.c
@@ -260,7 +260,9 @@ test_ava_filter(
 		for ( i = 0; a->a_vals[i] != NULL; i++ ) {
 			int rc;
 
-#ifndef SLAPD_SCHEMA_NOT_COMPAT
+#ifdef SLAPD_SCHEMA_NOT_COMPAT
+			rc = 0;
+#else
 			rc = value_cmp( a->a_vals[i], &ava->ava_value, a->a_syntax,
 				3 );
 #endif
diff --git a/servers/slapd/value.c b/servers/slapd/value.c
index 21538c23e1..ec7bc11f84 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/value.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/value.c
@@ -128,13 +128,18 @@ value_normalize(
 		return LDAP_INAPPROPRIATE_MATCHING;
 	}
 
-	rc = (mr->smr_normalize)( usage,
-		ad->ad_type->sat_syntax,
-		mr, in, out );
+	if( mr->smr_normalize ) {
+		rc = (mr->smr_normalize)( usage,
+			ad->ad_type->sat_syntax,
+			mr, in, out );
 
-	if( rc != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
-		*text = "unable to normalize value";
-		return LDAP_INVALID_SYNTAX;
+		if( rc != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
+			*text = "unable to normalize value";
+			return LDAP_INVALID_SYNTAX;
+		}
+
+	} else {
+		*out = ber_bvdup( in );
 	}
 
 	return LDAP_SUCCESS;