return LDAP_INSUFFICIENT_ACCESS;
        }
 
+       /* no matching rule was provided, use the attribute's
+          equality rule if it supports extensible matching. */
        if( mra->ma_rule == NULL && 
                mra->ma_desc->ad_type->sat_equality &&
                mra->ma_desc->ad_type->sat_equality->smr_usage & SLAP_MR_EXT )
        {
                mra->ma_rule = mra->ma_desc->ad_type->sat_equality;
-       }
 
-       if( mra->ma_rule == NULL ) {
+       } else {
                return LDAP_INAPPROPRIATE_MATCHING;
        }
 
        if( strcmp(mra->ma_rule->smr_syntax->ssyn_oid,
                mra->ma_desc->ad_type->sat_syntax->ssyn_oid) != 0)
        {
-               return LDAP_INVALID_SYNTAX;
+               return LDAP_INAPPROPRIATE_MATCHING;
        }
 
        for(a = attrs_find( e->e_attrs, mra->ma_desc );