diff --git a/servers/slapd/bconfig.c b/servers/slapd/bconfig.c
index 39a1cda461..624801ec88 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/bconfig.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/bconfig.c
@@ -1562,11 +1562,15 @@ config_suffix(ConfigArgs *c)
 	}
 
 	if ( notallowed != NULL ) {
+		char	buf[ SLAP_TEXT_BUFLEN ] = { '\0' };
+
+		if ( !BER_BVISNULL( &c->value_dn ) ) {
+			snprintf( buf, sizeof( buf ), "<%s> ", c->value_dn.bv_val );
+		}
+
 		Debug(LDAP_DEBUG_ANY,
-			"%s: suffix <%s> not allowed in %s database.\n",
-			c->log,
-			BER_BVISNULL( &c->value_dn ) ? "NULL" : c->value_dn.bv_val,
-			notallowed );
+			"%s: suffix %snot allowed in %s database.\n",
+			c->log, buf, notallowed );
 		return 1;
 	}