diff --git a/servers/slapd/slap.h b/servers/slapd/slap.h
index 73f33a9f47..d3a73807d4 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/slap.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/slap.h
@@ -161,6 +161,8 @@ typedef struct slap_syntax {
 #define SLAP_SYNTAX_BER		0x4U /* stored using BER encoding (binary,certificate) */
 
 	slap_syntax_validate_func	*ssyn_validate;
+	slap_syntax_transform_func	*ssyn_normalize;
+	slap_syntax_transform_func	*ssyn_pretty;
 
 #ifdef SLAPD_BINARY_CONVERSION
 	/* convert to and from binary */
diff --git a/servers/slapd/value.c b/servers/slapd/value.c
index 753c724005..21ec4e067e 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/value.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/value.c
@@ -186,6 +186,16 @@ value_match(
 {
 	int rc;
 	int usage = 0;
+	struct berval *nv1 = NULL;
+
+	if( ad->ad_type->sat_syntax->ssyn_normalize ) {
+		rc = ad->ad_type->sat_syntax->ssyn_normalize(
+			ad->ad_type->sat_syntax, v1, &nv1 );
+
+		if( rc != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
+			return LDAP_INAPPROPRIATE_MATCHING;
+		}
+	}
 
 	if( !mr->smr_match ) {
 		return LDAP_INAPPROPRIATE_MATCHING;
@@ -193,8 +203,11 @@ value_match(
 
 	rc = (mr->smr_match)( match, usage,
 		ad->ad_type->sat_syntax,
-		mr, v1, v2 );
+		mr,
+		nv1 != NULL ? nv1 : v1,
+		v2 );
 	
+	ber_bvfree( nv1 );
 	return rc;
 }