diff --git a/libraries/libldap/getdn.c b/libraries/libldap/getdn.c
index 3394ef0b53..11b436bdcf 100644
--- a/libraries/libldap/getdn.c
+++ b/libraries/libldap/getdn.c
@@ -650,8 +650,10 @@ ldap_bv2dn( struct berval *bv, LDAPDN **dn, unsigned flags )
 
 	if ( bv->bv_len == 0 ) {
 		return LDAP_SUCCESS;
+	}
 
-	} else if ( str[ 0 ] == '\0' ) {
+	if( strlen( bv->bv_val ) != bv->bv_len ) {
+		/* value must have embedded NULs */
 		return LDAP_DECODING_ERROR;
 	}
 
@@ -879,7 +881,10 @@ ldap_bv2rdn( struct berval *bv, LDAPRDN **rdn,
 	if ( bv->bv_len == 0 ) {
 		return LDAP_SUCCESS;
 
-	} else if ( str[ 0 ] == '\0' ) {
+	}
+
+	if( strlen( bv->bv_val ) != bv->bv_len ) {
+		/* value must have embedded NULs */
 		return LDAP_DECODING_ERROR;
 	}