struct timeval *timeout,
        int sizelimit,
        int *msgidp )
+{
+       return ldap_int_search( ld, base, scope, filter, attrs,
+               attrsonly, sctrls, cctrls, timeout, sizelimit, -1, msgidp );
+}
+
+int
+ldap_int_search(
+       LDAP *ld,
+       LDAP_CONST char *base,
+       int scope,
+       LDAP_CONST char *filter,
+       char **attrs,
+       int attrsonly,
+       LDAPControl **sctrls,
+       LDAPControl **cctrls,
+       struct timeval *timeout,
+       int sizelimit,
+       int deref,
+       int *msgidp )
 {
        int rc;
        BerElement      *ber;
        }
 
        ber = ldap_build_search_req( ld, base, scope, filter, attrs,
-           attrsonly, sctrls, cctrls, timelimit, sizelimit, &id ); 
+           attrsonly, sctrls, cctrls, timelimit, sizelimit, deref, &id ); 
 
        if ( ber == NULL ) {
                return ld->ld_errno;
        struct timeval *timeout,
        int sizelimit,
        LDAPMessage **res )
+{
+       return ldap_int_search_s( ld, base, scope, filter, attrs,
+               attrsonly, sctrls, cctrls, timeout, sizelimit, -1, res );
+}
+
+int
+ldap_int_search_s(
+       LDAP *ld,
+       LDAP_CONST char *base,
+       int scope,
+       LDAP_CONST char *filter,
+       char **attrs,
+       int attrsonly,
+       LDAPControl **sctrls,
+       LDAPControl **cctrls,
+       struct timeval *timeout,
+       int sizelimit,
+       int deref,
+       LDAPMessage **res )
 {
        int rc;
        int     msgid;
 
-       rc = ldap_search_ext( ld, base, scope, filter, attrs, attrsonly,
-               sctrls, cctrls, timeout, sizelimit, &msgid );
+       rc = ldap_int_search( ld, base, scope, filter, attrs, attrsonly,
+               sctrls, cctrls, timeout, sizelimit, deref, &msgid );
 
        if ( rc != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
                return( rc );
        assert( LDAP_VALID( ld ) );
 
        ber = ldap_build_search_req( ld, base, scope, filter, attrs,
-           attrsonly, NULL, NULL, -1, -1, &id ); 
+           attrsonly, NULL, NULL, -1, -1, -1, &id ); 
 
        if ( ber == NULL ) {
                return( -1 );
        LDAPControl **cctrls,
        ber_int_t timelimit,
        ber_int_t sizelimit,
+       ber_int_t deref,
        ber_int_t *idp)
 {
        BerElement      *ber;
            char *dn = ld->ld_options.ldo_cldapdn;
            if (!dn) dn = "";
            err = ber_printf( ber, "{ist{seeiib", *idp, dn,
-               LDAP_REQ_SEARCH, base, (ber_int_t) scope, ld->ld_deref,
+               LDAP_REQ_SEARCH, base, (ber_int_t) scope,
+               (deref < 0) ? ld->ld_deref : deref,
                (sizelimit < 0) ? ld->ld_sizelimit : sizelimit,
                (timelimit < 0) ? ld->ld_timelimit : timelimit,
                attrsonly );
 
         * to map attrs and maybe rewrite value
         */
 
-       /* should we check return values? */
-       if ( op->ors_deref != -1 ) {
-               ldap_set_option( lc->lc_ld, LDAP_OPT_DEREF,
-                               (void *)&op->ors_deref );
-       }
-
        if ( op->ors_tlimit != SLAP_NO_LIMIT ) {
                tv.tv_sec = op->ors_tlimit;
                tv.tv_usec = 0;
        /* deal with <draft-zeilenga-ldap-t-f> filters */
        filter = op->ors_filterstr;
 retry:
-       rs->sr_err = ldap_search_ext( lc->lc_ld, op->o_req_dn.bv_val,
+       rs->sr_err = ldap_int_search( lc->lc_ld, op->o_req_dn.bv_val,
                        op->ors_scope, filter.bv_val,
                        attrs, op->ors_attrsonly, ctrls, NULL,
                        tv.tv_sec ? &tv : NULL,
-                       op->ors_slimit, &msgid );
+                       op->ors_slimit, op->ors_deref, &msgid );
 
        if ( rs->sr_err != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
                switch ( rs->sr_err ) {
        }
 
        /* TODO: timeout? */
-       rc = ldap_search_ext_s( lc->lc_ld, ndn->bv_val, LDAP_SCOPE_BASE, filter,
+       rc = ldap_int_search_s( lc->lc_ld, ndn->bv_val, LDAP_SCOPE_BASE, filter,
                                attrp, 0, ctrls, NULL,
-                               NULL, LDAP_NO_LIMIT, &result );
+                               NULL, LDAP_NO_LIMIT, op->ors_deref, &result );
        if ( rc != LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
                if ( rc == LDAP_SERVER_DOWN && do_retry ) {
                        do_retry = 0;
 
        }
 
 retry:;
-       /* should we check return values? */
-       if ( op->ors_deref != -1 ) {
-               assert( msc->msc_ld != NULL );
-               (void)ldap_set_option( msc->msc_ld, LDAP_OPT_DEREF,
-                               ( void * )&op->ors_deref );
-       }
-
        ctrls = op->o_ctrls;
        if ( meta_back_controls_add( op, rs, *mcp, candidate, &ctrls )
                != LDAP_SUCCESS )
         * Starts the search
         */
        assert( msc->msc_ld != NULL );
-       rc = ldap_search_ext( msc->msc_ld,
+       rc = ldap_int_search( msc->msc_ld,
                        mbase.bv_val, realscope, mfilter.bv_val,
                        mapped_attrs, op->ors_attrsonly,
-                       ctrls, NULL, tvp, op->ors_slimit,
+                       ctrls, NULL, tvp, op->ors_slimit, op->ors_deref,
                        &candidates[ candidate ].sr_msgid ); 
        switch ( rc ) {
        case LDAP_SUCCESS: