diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/cache.c b/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/cache.c
index a22085c17b..f37b870234 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/cache.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/cache.c
@@ -362,12 +362,13 @@ bdb2i_cache_find_entry_dn2id(
 	Entry		e, *ep;
 	ID			id;
 
-	/* set cache mutex */
-	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &cache->c_mutex );
-
 	e.e_dn = dn;
 	e.e_ndn = dn_normalize_case( ch_strdup( dn ) );
 
+try_again:
+	/* set cache mutex */
+	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &cache->c_mutex );
+
 	if ( (ep = (Entry *) avl_find( cache->c_dntree, (caddr_t) &e,
 		(AVL_CMP) entry_dn_cmp )) != NULL )
 	{
@@ -395,7 +396,8 @@ bdb2i_cache_find_entry_dn2id(
 
 			/* free cache mutex */
 			ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &cache->c_mutex );
-			return( NOID );
+			ldap_pvt_thread_yield();
+			goto try_again;
 		}
 
 		Debug(LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE,
@@ -439,6 +441,7 @@ bdb2i_cache_find_entry_id(
 
 	e.e_id = id;
 
+try_again:
 	/* set cache mutex */
 	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &cache->c_mutex );
 
@@ -462,7 +465,8 @@ bdb2i_cache_find_entry_id(
 
 			/* free cache mutex */
 			ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &cache->c_mutex );
-			return( NULL );
+			ldap_pvt_thread_yield();
+			goto try_again;
 		}
 
 		Debug(LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE,
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/id2entry.c b/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/id2entry.c
index bbcb8be1b1..a2cc63690c 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/id2entry.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/id2entry.c
@@ -159,10 +159,19 @@ bdb2i_id2entry_rw( BackendDB *be, ID id, int rw )
 	}
 
 	if ( bdb2i_cache_add_entry_rw( &li->li_cache, e, rw ) != 0 ) {
+		entry_free( e );
+
+		/* see if it got added underneath us */
+		if((e = bdb2i_cache_find_entry_id( &li->li_cache, id, rw )) != NULL ) {
+			Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE,
+				"<= bdb2i_id2entry_%s( %ld ) 0x%lx (cache)\n",
+				rw ? "w" : "r", id, (unsigned long)e );
+			return( e );
+		}
+
 		Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE,
 			"<= bdb2i_id2entry_%s( %ld ) (cache add failed)\n",
 			rw ? "w" : "r", id, 0 );
-		entry_free( e );
 		return( NULL );
 	}
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/cache.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/cache.c
index e5bd055b51..6fb33306b6 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/cache.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/cache.c
@@ -430,12 +430,13 @@ cache_find_entry_dn2id(
 	Entry		e, *ep;
 	ID			id;
 
-	/* set cache mutex */
-	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &cache->c_mutex );
-
 	e.e_dn = dn;
 	e.e_ndn = dn_normalize_case( ch_strdup( dn ) );
 
+try_again:
+	/* set cache mutex */
+	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &cache->c_mutex );
+
 	if ( (ep = (Entry *) avl_find( cache->c_dntree, (caddr_t) &e,
 		(AVL_CMP) entry_dn_cmp )) != NULL )
 	{
@@ -462,7 +463,8 @@ cache_find_entry_dn2id(
 
 			/* free cache mutex */
 			ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &cache->c_mutex );
-			return( NOID );
+			ldap_pvt_thread_yield();
+			goto try_again;
 		}
 
 		Debug(LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE,
@@ -529,7 +531,8 @@ try_again:
 
 			/* free cache mutex */
 			ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &cache->c_mutex );
-			return( NULL );
+			ldap_pvt_thread_yield();
+			goto try_again;
 		}
 
 		Debug(LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE,
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/id2entry.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/id2entry.c
index 58de12b7c7..783fccc8b2 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/id2entry.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/id2entry.c
@@ -158,9 +158,17 @@ id2entry_rw( Backend *be, ID id, int rw )
 	}
 
 	if( cache_add_entry_rw( &li->li_cache, e, rw ) != 0 ) {
+		entry_free( e );
+
+		/* maybe the entry got added underneath us */
+		if ( (e = cache_find_entry_id( &li->li_cache, id, rw )) != NULL ) {
+			Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE, "<= id2entry_%s( %ld ) 0x%lx (cache)\n",
+				rw ? "w" : "r", id, (unsigned long) e );
+			return( e );
+		}
+
 		Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE, "<= id2entry_%s( %ld ) (cache add failed)\n",
 			rw ? "w" : "r", id, 0 );
-		entry_free( e );
 		return NULL;
 	}