diff --git a/servers/slapd/syncrepl.c b/servers/slapd/syncrepl.c
index 41cd5e49c2..81be13aba9 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/syncrepl.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/syncrepl.c
@@ -7558,7 +7558,8 @@ syncrepl_config( ConfigArgs *c )
 					 * happen when running on the cn=config DB.
 					 */
 					if ( si->si_re ) {
-						if ( si->si_be == c->be || ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_trylock( &si->si_mutex )) {
+						if ( si->si_be == c->ca_op->o_bd ||
+								ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_trylock( &si->si_mutex )) {
 							isrunning = 1;
 						} else {
 							/* There is no active thread, but we must still