diff --git a/ldap/servers/slapd/filterentry.c b/ldap/servers/slapd/filterentry.c
index 2a7102828a..268c04d86d 100644
--- a/ldap/servers/slapd/filterentry.c
+++ b/ldap/servers/slapd/filterentry.c
@@ -296,7 +296,24 @@ test_ava_filter(
         rc = -1;
         for (; a != NULL; a = a->a_next) {
             if (slapi_attr_type_cmp(ava->ava_type, a->a_type, SLAPI_TYPE_CMP_SUBTYPE) == 0) {
-                rc = plugin_call_syntax_filter_ava(a, ftype, ava);
+                if (config_get_filter_match_use_sorted_vs()) {
+                    /* retrieve the ava value from the valuearray
+                     * and potentially get benefit of sorted valuearray
+                     * within the valueset
+                     */
+                    Slapi_Value *sval = NULL;
+                    sval = slapi_value_new_berval(&ava->ava_value);
+                    if (slapi_valueset_find((const Slapi_Attr *)a, &a->a_present_values, sval)) {
+                        rc = 0;
+                    }
+                    slapi_value_free(&sval);
+                } else {
+                    /* else use the original access that uses
+                     * the directly the valuearray without taking
+                     * into account the potentially sorted valueset
+                     */
+                    rc = plugin_call_syntax_filter_ava(a, ftype, ava);
+                }
                 if (rc == 0) {
                     break;
                 }
diff --git a/ldap/servers/slapd/libglobs.c b/ldap/servers/slapd/libglobs.c
index 24f4c972ad..f7a55aa64a 100644
--- a/ldap/servers/slapd/libglobs.c
+++ b/ldap/servers/slapd/libglobs.c
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ slapi_onoff_t init_accesscontrol;
 slapi_onoff_t init_nagle;
 slapi_onoff_t init_security;
 slapi_onoff_t init_ssl_check_hostname;
+slapi_onoff_t init_filter_match_use_sorted_vs;
 slapi_onoff_t init_ldapi_switch;
 slapi_onoff_t init_ldapi_bind_switch;
 slapi_onoff_t init_ldapi_map_entries;
@@ -1013,6 +1014,10 @@ static struct config_get_and_set
      NULL, 0, NULL,
      CONFIG_ON_OFF, (ConfigGetFunc)config_get_hash_filters,
      NULL, NULL /* deletion is not allowed */},
+    {CONFIG_FILTER_MATCH_USE_SORTED_VS, config_set_filter_match_use_sorted_vs,
+     NULL, 0,
+     (void **)&global_slapdFrontendConfig.filter_match_use_sorted_vs,
+     CONFIG_ON_OFF, NULL, &init_filter_match_use_sorted_vs, NULL /* deletion is not allowed */},
     /* instance dir; used by admin tasks */
     {CONFIG_INSTDIR_ATTRIBUTE, config_set_instancedir,
      NULL, 0,
@@ -1838,6 +1843,7 @@ FrontendConfig_init(void)
     init_enquote_sup_oc = cfg->enquote_sup_oc = LDAP_OFF;
     init_lastmod = cfg->lastmod = LDAP_ON;
     init_rewrite_rfc1274 = cfg->rewrite_rfc1274 = LDAP_OFF;
+    init_filter_match_use_sorted_vs = cfg->filter_match_use_sorted_vs = LDAP_OFF;
     cfg->schemareplace = slapi_ch_strdup(CONFIG_SCHEMAREPLACE_STR_REPLICATION_ONLY);
     init_schema_ignore_trailing_spaces = cfg->schema_ignore_trailing_spaces =
         SLAPD_DEFAULT_SCHEMA_IGNORE_TRAILING_SPACES;
@@ -7885,6 +7891,31 @@ config_set_hash_filters(const char *attrname, char *value, char *errorbuf, int a
     return retVal;
 }
 
+int32_t
+config_set_filter_match_use_sorted_vs(const char *attrname, char *value, char *errorbuf, int apply)
+{
+    int32_t retVal = LDAP_SUCCESS;
+    slapdFrontendConfig_t *slapdFrontendConfig = getFrontendConfig();
+
+    retVal = config_set_onoff(attrname,
+                              value,
+                              &(slapdFrontendConfig->filter_match_use_sorted_vs),
+                              errorbuf,
+                              apply);
+
+    return retVal;
+}
+
+int
+config_get_filter_match_use_sorted_vs()
+{
+    slapdFrontendConfig_t *slapdFrontendConfig = getFrontendConfig();
+    int retVal;
+
+    retVal = (int)slapdFrontendConfig->filter_match_use_sorted_vs;
+    return retVal;
+}
+
 int
 config_get_hash_filters()
 {
diff --git a/ldap/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h b/ldap/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
index 214f2e609d..c7d5a609ca 100644
--- a/ldap/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
+++ b/ldap/servers/slapd/proto-slap.h
@@ -373,6 +373,7 @@ int config_set_rundir(const char *attrname, char *value, char *errorbuf, int app
 int config_set_saslpath(const char *attrname, char *value, char *errorbuf, int apply);
 int config_set_attrname_exceptions(const char *attrname, char *value, char *errorbuf, int apply);
 int config_set_hash_filters(const char *attrname, char *value, char *errorbuf, int apply);
+int32_t config_set_filter_match_use_sorted_vs(const char *attrname, char *value, char *errorbuf, int apply);
 int config_set_rewrite_rfc1274(const char *attrname, char *value, char *errorbuf, int apply);
 int config_set_outbound_ldap_io_timeout(const char *attrname, char *value, char *errorbuf, int apply);
 int config_set_unauth_binds_switch(const char *attrname, char *value, char *errorbuf, int apply);
@@ -550,6 +551,7 @@ char **config_get_auditlog_list(void);
 char **config_get_auditfaillog_list(void);
 int config_get_attrname_exceptions(void);
 int config_get_hash_filters(void);
+int config_get_filter_match_use_sorted_vs();
 int config_get_rewrite_rfc1274(void);
 int config_get_outbound_ldap_io_timeout(void);
 int config_get_unauth_binds_switch(void);
diff --git a/ldap/servers/slapd/slap.h b/ldap/servers/slapd/slap.h
index b1fe6cb2a4..5f615c078c 100644
--- a/ldap/servers/slapd/slap.h
+++ b/ldap/servers/slapd/slap.h
@@ -2340,6 +2340,7 @@ typedef struct _slapdEntryPoints
 #define CONFIG_SSL_CHECK_HOSTNAME_ATTRIBUTE "nsslapd-ssl-check-hostname"
 #define CONFIG_TLS_CHECK_CRL_ATTRIBUTE "nsslapd-tls-check-crl"
 #define CONFIG_HASH_FILTERS_ATTRIBUTE "nsslapd-hash-filters"
+#define CONFIG_FILTER_MATCH_USE_SORTED_VS "nsslapd-filter-match-use-sorted-vs"
 #define CONFIG_OUTBOUND_LDAP_IO_TIMEOUT_ATTRIBUTE "nsslapd-outbound-ldap-io-timeout"
 #define CONFIG_FORCE_SASL_EXTERNAL_ATTRIBUTE "nsslapd-force-sasl-external"
 #define CONFIG_ENTRYUSN_GLOBAL "nsslapd-entryusn-global"
@@ -2726,6 +2727,7 @@ typedef struct _slapdFrontendConfig
     slapi_onoff_t return_orig_dn;
     slapi_onoff_t pw_admin_skip_info;
     char *auditlog_display_attrs;
+    slapi_onoff_t filter_match_use_sorted_vs;
 } slapdFrontendConfig_t;
 
 /* possible values for slapdFrontendConfig_t.schemareplace */