diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-meta/map.c b/servers/slapd/back-meta/map.c
index f1ac80d275..7bb172469b 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-meta/map.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-meta/map.c
@@ -298,7 +298,9 @@ map_attr_value(
 			return -1;
 		}
 
-	} else if ( ad->ad_type->sat_equality->smr_usage & SLAP_MR_MUTATION_NORMALIZER ) {
+	} else if ( ad->ad_type->sat_equality && 
+		ad->ad_type->sat_equality->smr_usage & SLAP_MR_MUTATION_NORMALIZER )
+	{
 		if ( ad->ad_type->sat_equality->smr_normalize(
 			(SLAP_MR_DENORMALIZE|SLAP_MR_VALUE_OF_ASSERTION_SYNTAX),
 			NULL, NULL, value, &vtmp, memctx ) )