diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/id2entry.c b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/id2entry.c
index abc7342811..6065491faa 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/id2entry.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/id2entry.c
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ int bdb_entry_return(
 		/* nvals are not contiguous with the rest. oh well. */
 		Attribute *a;
 		for (a = e->e_attrs; a; a=a->a_next) {
-			if (a->a_nvals) {
+			if (a->a_nvals != a->a_vals) {
 				ber_bvarray_free( a->a_nvals );
 				a->a_nvals = NULL;
 			}