diff --git a/servers/slapd/controls.c b/servers/slapd/controls.c
index 67d8f1608a..9b51f95034 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/controls.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/controls.c
@@ -565,25 +565,27 @@ void slap_free_ctrls(
 {
 	int i;
 
-	if( op->o_assertion != NULL ) {
-		filter_free_x( op, op->o_assertion, 1 );
-		op->o_assertion = NULL;
-	}
-	if( op->o_vrFilter != NULL) {
-		vrFilter_free( op, op->o_vrFilter );
-		op->o_vrFilter = NULL;
-	}
-	if( op->o_preread_attrs != NULL ) {
-		op->o_tmpfree( op->o_preread_attrs, op->o_tmpmemctx );
-		op->o_preread_attrs = NULL;
-	}
-	if( op->o_postread_attrs != NULL ) {
-		op->o_tmpfree( op->o_postread_attrs, op->o_tmpmemctx );
-		op->o_postread_attrs = NULL;
-	}
-	if( op->o_pagedresults_state != NULL ) {
-		op->o_tmpfree( op->o_pagedresults_state, op->o_tmpmemctx );
-		op->o_pagedresults_state = NULL;
+	if( ctrls == op->o_ctrls ) {
+		if( op->o_assertion != NULL ) {
+			filter_free_x( op, op->o_assertion, 1 );
+			op->o_assertion = NULL;
+		}
+		if( op->o_vrFilter != NULL) {
+			vrFilter_free( op, op->o_vrFilter );
+			op->o_vrFilter = NULL;
+		}
+		if( op->o_preread_attrs != NULL ) {
+			op->o_tmpfree( op->o_preread_attrs, op->o_tmpmemctx );
+			op->o_preread_attrs = NULL;
+		}
+		if( op->o_postread_attrs != NULL ) {
+			op->o_tmpfree( op->o_postread_attrs, op->o_tmpmemctx );
+			op->o_postread_attrs = NULL;
+		}
+		if( op->o_pagedresults_state != NULL ) {
+			op->o_tmpfree( op->o_pagedresults_state, op->o_tmpmemctx );
+			op->o_pagedresults_state = NULL;
+		}
 	}
 
 	for (i=0; ctrls[i]; i++) {