at != NULL;
                                at = attrs_find( at->a_next, b->a_dn_at ) )
                        {
-                               if( value_find( b->a_dn_at, at->a_vals, &bv ) == 0 ) {
+                               if( value_find_ex( b->a_dn_at,
+                                       SLAP_MR_VALUE_NORMALIZED_MATCH, at->a_vals, &bv ) == 0 ) {
                                        /* found it */
                                        match = 1;
                                        break;
                        at != NULL;
                        at = attrs_find( at->a_next, ad ) )
                {
-                       if (value_find( ad, at->a_vals, &bv) == 0 ) {
+                       if (value_find( ad, SLAP_MR_VALUE_NORMALIZED_MATCH, at->a_vals, &bv) == 0 ) {
                                rc = 1;
                                break;
                        }
 
                group_oc_name, group_at_name, 0 ); 
 #endif
 
-       if( value_find( group_at, attr->a_vals, op_ndn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
+       if( value_find_ex( group_at, SLAP_MR_VALUE_NORMALIZED_MATCH,
+               attr->a_vals, op_ndn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING
                LDAP_LOG( BACK_BDB, DETAIL1, 
                        "bdb_group: \"%s\" not in \"%s\": %s\n",
 
                         * attribute has not been required
                         */
                        if ((attr = attr_find(target->e_attrs, group_at)) != NULL) {
-                               if( value_find( group_at, attr->a_vals, op_ndn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS  )
+                               if( value_find_ex( group_at, SLAP_MR_VALUE_NORMALIZED_MATCH,
+                                       attr->a_vals, op_ndn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS )
                                        return(1);
                                return(0);
                        } /* else: repeat the search */
 
 #endif
 
 
-       if( value_find( group_at, attr->a_vals, op_ndn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
+       if( value_find_ex( group_at, SLAP_MR_VALUE_NORMALIZED_MATCH,
+               attr->a_vals, op_ndn ) != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
 #ifdef NEW_LOGGING
                LDAP_LOG( BACK_LDBM, DETAIL1, 
                        "ldbm_back_group: \"%s\" not in \"%s\": %s\n",
 
                         */
                        attr = attr_find( target->e_attrs, group_at );
                        if ( attr != NULL ) {
-                               rc = value_find( group_at, attr->a_vals, 
-                                               op_ndn );
+                               rc = value_find_ex( group_at,
+                                       SLAP_MR_VALUE_SYNTAX_CONVERTED_MATCH,
+                                       attr->a_vals, op_ndn );
                                if ( rc != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
                                        return 1;
                                }
 
 #define SLAP_MR_ASSERTION_SYNTAX_MATCH                 0x0000U
 #define SLAP_MR_VALUE_SYNTAX_MATCH                             0x0001U
 #define SLAP_MR_VALUE_SYNTAX_CONVERTED_MATCH   0x0003U
+#define SLAP_MR_VALUE_NORMALIZED_MATCH 0x0004U
 
 #define SLAP_IS_MR_ASSERTION_SYNTAX_MATCH( usage ) \
        (!((usage) & SLAP_MR_VALUE_SYNTAX_MATCH))
 
                flags |= SLAP_MR_VALUE_SYNTAX_CONVERTED_MATCH;
        }
 
-       if( mr->smr_syntax->ssyn_normalize ) {
+       if( !(flags & SLAP_MR_VALUE_NORMALIZED_MATCH) &&
+               mr->smr_syntax->ssyn_normalize ) {
                struct berval nval_tmp = { 0, NULL };
 
                rc = mr->smr_syntax->ssyn_normalize(