diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldif/ldif.c b/servers/slapd/back-ldif/ldif.c
index 9a4ad7ad56..128419341d 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldif/ldif.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldif/ldif.c
@@ -593,9 +593,9 @@ typedef struct bvlist {
 	char *trunc;	/* filename was truncated here */
 	int  inum;		/* num from "attr={num}" in filename, or INT_MIN */
 	char savech;	/* original char at *trunc */
-	char fname;		/* variable length array BVL_NAME(bvl) = &fname */
-#	define BVL_NAME(bvl) ((char *) (bvl) + offsetof(bvlist, fname))
-#	define BVL_SIZE(namelen) (sizeof(bvlist) + (namelen))
+	/* BVL_NAME(&bvlist) is the filename, allocated after the struct: */
+#	define BVL_NAME(bvl)     ((char *) ((bvl) + 1))
+#	define BVL_SIZE(namelen) (sizeof(bvlist) + (namelen) + 1)
 } bvlist;
 
 static int