diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/modify.c b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/modify.c
index 0d188d626e..0ac22ed9d0 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb/modify.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb/modify.c
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ int bdb_modify_internal(
 
 			err = modify_add_values( e, mod, get_permissiveModify(op),
 				text, textbuf, textlen );
+
+ 			mod->sm_op = SLAP_MOD_SOFTADD;
+
  			if ( err == LDAP_TYPE_OR_VALUE_EXISTS ) {
  				err = LDAP_SUCCESS;
  			}