* server (whether from LDAP or from the underlying
                 * database).
                 */
-               flags = SLAP_MR_EQUALITY | SLAP_MR_VALUE_OF_ASSERTION_SYNTAX;
+               if ( a->a_desc == slap_schema.si_ad_objectClass ) {
+                       /* Needed by ITS#5517 */
+                       flags = SLAP_MR_EQUALITY | SLAP_MR_VALUE_OF_ATTRIBUTE_SYNTAX;
+
+               } else {
+                       flags = SLAP_MR_EQUALITY | SLAP_MR_VALUE_OF_ASSERTION_SYNTAX;
+               }
                if ( mod->sm_nvalues ) {
                        flags |= SLAP_MR_ASSERTED_VALUE_NORMALIZED_MATCH |
                                SLAP_MR_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE_NORMALIZED_MATCH;