diff --git a/manifests/server.pp b/manifests/server.pp
index 23415364..456f5d6a 100644
--- a/manifests/server.pp
+++ b/manifests/server.pp
@@ -47,6 +47,6 @@
   Class['openldap::server::install']
   -> Class['openldap::server::config']
   ~> Class['openldap::server::service']
-  -> Class['openldap::server::slapdconf']
+  Class['openldap::server::slapdconf']
   -> Class['openldap::server']
 }
diff --git a/manifests/server/database.pp b/manifests/server/database.pp
index 7939263d..b02e07ad 100644
--- a/manifests/server/database.pp
+++ b/manifests/server/database.pp
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@
   }
 
   Class['openldap::server::service']
-  -> Openldap::Server::Database[$title]
+  -> Openldap_database[$title]
   -> Class['openldap::server']
   if $title != 'dc=my-domain,dc=com' and fact('os.family') == 'RedHat' {
-    Openldap::Server::Database['dc=my-domain,dc=com'] -> Openldap::Server::Database[$title]
+    Openldap_database['dc=my-domain,dc=com'] -> Openldap_database[$title]
   }
 
   if $ensure == present and $backend != 'monitor' and $backend != 'config' and $backend != 'relay' and $backend != 'ldap' {
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
       ensure => directory,
       owner  => $openldap::server::owner,
       group  => $openldap::server::group,
-      before => Openldap_database[$title],
+      before => [Class['openldap::server::service'], Openldap_database[$title]],
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/spec/classes/openldap_server_spec.rb b/spec/classes/openldap_server_spec.rb
index af3de710..b3b206a1 100644
--- a/spec/classes/openldap_server_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/openldap_server_spec.rb
@@ -23,11 +23,6 @@
               that_notifies('Class[openldap::server::service]')
           }
 
-          it {
-            is_expected.to contain_class('openldap::server::service').
-              that_comes_before('Class[openldap::server::slapdconf]')
-          }
-
           it {
             is_expected.to contain_class('openldap::server::slapdconf').
               that_comes_before('Class[openldap::server]')
diff --git a/spec/defines/openldap_server_database_spec.rb b/spec/defines/openldap_server_database_spec.rb
index 8e314115..9908be8f 100644
--- a/spec/defines/openldap_server_database_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/defines/openldap_server_database_spec.rb
@@ -21,6 +21,24 @@
             it {
               is_expected.to contain_openldap__server__database('dc=foo').with(directory: '/foo/bar')
             }
+
+            it {
+              # The slapd service must be started before we can make a database:
+              is_expected.to contain_class('openldap::server::service').
+                that_comes_before('Openldap_database[dc=foo]')
+            }
+
+            it {
+              # The containing directory for a database must exist before the database that it will contain:
+              is_expected.to contain_file('/foo/bar').
+                that_comes_before('Openldap_database[dc=foo]')
+            }
+
+            it {
+              # ... and "the specified olcDbDirectory must exist prior to starting slapd(8)":
+              is_expected.to contain_file('/foo/bar').
+                that_comes_before('Class[openldap::server::service]')
+            }
           end
 
           context 'with all parameters set' do