diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-relay/back-relay.h b/servers/slapd/back-relay/back-relay.h
index d45c413379..d62474ea33 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-relay/back-relay.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-relay/back-relay.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ LDAP_BEGIN_DECL
 
 typedef struct relay_back_info {
 	BackendDB	*ri_bd;
+	struct berval	ri_realsuffix;
+	int		ri_massage;
 } relay_back_info;
 
 LDAP_END_DECL
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-relay/config.c b/servers/slapd/back-relay/config.c
index 2839e14186..f02a85e3a7 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-relay/config.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-relay/config.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ relay_back_db_config(
 	if ( strcasecmp( argv[0], "relay" ) == 0 ) {
 		struct berval	dn, ndn, pdn;
 		int		rc;
+		BackendDB	*bd;
 
 		if ( argc < 2 ) {
 			fprintf( stderr,
@@ -70,20 +71,22 @@ relay_back_db_config(
 			return 1;
 		}
 
-		ri->ri_bd = select_backend( &ndn, 0, 1 );
-		if ( ri->ri_bd == NULL ) {
+		bd = select_backend( &ndn, 0, 1 );
+		if ( bd == NULL ) {
 			fprintf( stderr, "%s: line %d: "
 					"cannot find database "
 					"of relay dn \"%s\"\n",
 					fname, lineno, argv[ 1 ] );
 			return 1;
 
-		} else if ( ri->ri_bd == be ) {
+		} else if ( bd == be ) {
 			fprintf( stderr, "%s: line %d: "
 					"relay dn \"%s\" would call self\n",
 					fname, lineno, pdn.bv_val );
 			return 1;
-		} 
+		}
+
+		ri->ri_realsuffix = ndn;
 
 		if ( overlay_config( be, "rewrite-remap" ) ) {
 			fprintf( stderr, "%s: line %d: unable to install "
@@ -93,9 +96,27 @@ relay_back_db_config(
 			return 1;
 		}
 
-		if ( argc == 3 ) {
+#if 0
+		{
 			char	*cargv[ 4 ];
 
+			cargv[ 0 ] = "overlay";
+			cargv[ 1 ] = "rewrite-remap";
+			cargv[ 2 ] = NULL;
+
+			be->be_config( be, fname, lineno, 2, cargv ); 
+
+			cargv[ 0 ] = "suffixmassage";
+			cargv[ 1 ] = be->be_suffix[0].bv_val;
+			cargv[ 2 ] = ri->ri_bd->be_suffix[0].bv_val;
+			cargv[ 3 ] = NULL;
+
+			if ( be->be_config( be, fname, lineno, 3, cargv ) ) {
+				return 1;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if ( argc == 3 ) {
 			if ( strcmp( argv[2], "massage" ) ) {
 				fprintf( stderr, "%s: line %d: "
 					"unknown directive \"%s\" "
@@ -104,22 +125,9 @@ relay_back_db_config(
 				return 1;
 			}
 
-			if ( be->be_suffix[0].bv_val == NULL ) {
-				fprintf( stderr, "%s: line %d: "
-					"relay line must come after \"suffix\"\n",
-					fname, lineno );
-				return 1;
-			}
-
-			cargv[ 0 ] = "suffixmassage";
-			cargv[ 1 ] = be->be_suffix[0].bv_val;
-			cargv[ 2 ] = ri->ri_bd->be_suffix[0].bv_val;
-			cargv[ 3 ] = NULL;
-
-			if ( be->be_config( be, "back-relay", 1, 3, cargv ) ) {
-				return 1;
-			}
+			ri->ri_massage = 1;
 		}
+#endif
 
 	/* anything else */
 	} else {
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-relay/init.c b/servers/slapd/back-relay/init.c
index 2ed870a9f7..66631c2e60 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-relay/init.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-relay/init.c
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ relay_back_db_init( Backend *be )
  	}
 
 	ri->ri_bd = NULL;
+	ri->ri_realsuffix.bv_val = NULL;
+	ri->ri_realsuffix.bv_len = 0;
+	ri->ri_massage = 0;
 
 	be->be_private = (void *)ri;
 
@@ -105,10 +108,20 @@ relay_back_db_open( Backend *be )
 
 	assert( ri != NULL );
 
+	if ( ri->ri_realsuffix.bv_val != NULL ) {
+		ri->ri_bd = select_backend( &ri->ri_realsuffix, 0, 1 );
+		assert( ri->ri_bd );
+	}
+
 #if 0
-	if ( !ri->ri_do_not_massage ) {
+	if ( ri->ri_massage ) {
 		char	*argv[ 4 ];
 
+		if ( be->be_suffix[0].bv_val == NULL ) {
+			fprintf( stderr, "suffix must be defined to require suffix massage\n" );
+			return 1;
+		}
+
 		argv[ 0 ] = "suffixmassage";
 		argv[ 1 ] = be->be_suffix[0].bv_val;
 		argv[ 2 ] = ri->ri_bd->be_suffix[0].bv_val;