A method and apparatus for maintaining in a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) repository entries that are managed by an LDAP directory server. An LDAP directory server receives a client request to add a specified entry to an LDAP repository, determines, based on a managed entry configuration, that the specified entry requires a managed entry operation, and adds the specified entry to the LDAP repository. The LDAP directory server further adds a managed entry to the LDAP repository in accordance with the managed entry operation, where the managed entry is added to the LDAP repository without receiving any client request specifying the managed entry.