diff --git a/lib/attribute.js b/lib/attribute.js
index d6b25fa..328095b 100644
--- a/lib/attribute.js
+++ b/lib/attribute.js
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ Attribute.toBer = function(attr, ber) {
 
 
 Attribute.isAttribute = function(attr) {
+  if (!attr) return false;
   if (typeof(attr) !== 'object') return false;
   if (attr instanceof Attribute) return true;
   if (!attr.type || typeof(attr.type) !== 'string') return false;
diff --git a/lib/change.js b/lib/change.js
index a650237..bafb39f 100644
--- a/lib/change.js
+++ b/lib/change.js
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ function Change(options) {
       throw new TypeError('options must be an object');
     if (options.operation && typeof(options.operation) !== 'string')
       throw new TypeError('options.operation must be a string');
-    if (options.modification && !(options.modification instanceof Attribute))
-      throw new TypeErrr('options.modification must be an Attribute');
   } else {
     options = {};
   }
@@ -48,7 +46,24 @@ function Change(options) {
       throw new Error('Invalid operation type: 0x' + val.toString(16));
     }
   });
-
+  this.__defineGetter__('modification', function() {
+    return self._modification;
+  });
+  this.__defineSetter__('modification', function(attr) {
+    if (Attribute.isAttribute(attr))
+      self._modification = attr;
+    Object.keys(attr).forEach(function(k) {
+      var _attr = new Attribute({type: k});
+      if (Array.isArray(attr[k])) {
+        attr[k].forEach(function(v) {
+          _attr.addValue(v.toString());
+        });
+      } else {
+        _attr.addValue(attr[k].toString());
+      }
+      self._modification = _attr;
+    });
+  });
   this.__defineGetter__('json', function() {
     return {
       operation: self.operation,
@@ -57,7 +72,7 @@ function Change(options) {
   });
 
   this.operation = options.operation || 'add';
-  this.modification = options.modification || null;
+  this.modification = options.modification || {};
 }
 module.exports = Change;
 
@@ -67,8 +82,8 @@ Change.prototype.parse = function(ber) {
 
   ber.readSequence();
   this._operation = ber.readEnumeration();
-  this.modification = new Attribute();
-  this.modification.parse(ber);
+  this._modification = new Attribute();
+  this._modification.parse(ber);
 
   return true;
 };
@@ -79,7 +94,7 @@ Change.prototype.toBer = function(ber) {
 
   ber.startSequence();
   ber.writeEnumeration(this._operation);
-  ber = this.modification.toBer(ber);
+  ber = this._modification.toBer(ber);
   ber.endSequence();
 
   return ber;
diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index a00fd40..23c3bda 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -282,21 +282,21 @@ Client.prototype.bind = function(name, credentials, controls, callback) {
 /**
  * Adds an entry to the LDAP server.
  *
+ * Entry can be either [Attribute] or a plain JS object where the
+ * values are either a plain value or an array of values.  Any value (that's
+ * not an array) will get converted to a string, so keep that in mind.
+ *
  * @param {String} name the DN of the entry to add.
- * @param {Array} attributes an array of Attributes to be added.
+ * @param {Object} entry an array of Attributes to be added or a JS object.
  * @param {Control} controls (optional) either a Control or [Control].
  * @param {Function} callback of the form f(err, res).
  * @throws {TypeError} on invalid input.
  */
-Client.prototype.add = function(name, attributes, controls, callback) {
+Client.prototype.add = function(name, entry, controls, callback) {
   if (typeof(name) !== 'string')
     throw new TypeError('name (string) required');
-  if (!Array.isArray(attributes))
-    throw new TypeError('attributes ([Attribute]) required');
-  attributes.forEach(function(a) {
-    if (!Attribute.isAttribute(a))
-      throw new TypeError('attributes ([Attribute]) required');
-  });
+  if (typeof(entry) !== 'object')
+    throw new TypeError('entry (object) required');
   if (typeof(controls) === 'function') {
     callback = controls;
     controls = [];
@@ -306,9 +306,31 @@ Client.prototype.add = function(name, attributes, controls, callback) {
   if (typeof(callback) !== 'function')
     throw new TypeError('callback (function) required');
 
+  if (Array.isArray(entry)) {
+    entry.forEach(function(a) {
+      if (!Attribute.isAttribute(a))
+        throw new TypeError('entry must be an Array of Attributes');
+    });
+  } else {
+    var save = entry;
+
+    entry = [];
+    Object.keys(save).forEach(function(k) {
+      var attr = new Attribute({type: k});
+      if (Array.isArray(save[k])) {
+        save[k].forEach(function(v) {
+          attr.addValue(v.toString());
+        });
+      } else {
+        attr.addValue(save[k].toString());
+      }
+      entry.push(attr);
+    });
+  }
+
   var req = new AddRequest({
     entry: dn.parse(name),
-    attributes: attributes,
+    attributes: entry,
     controls: controls
   });
 
@@ -320,20 +342,16 @@ Client.prototype.add = function(name, attributes, controls, callback) {
  * Compares an attribute/value pair with an entry on the LDAP server.
  *
  * @param {String} name the DN of the entry to compare attributes with.
- * @param {String} attribute name of an attribute to check.
+ * @param {String} attr name of an attribute to check.
  * @param {String} value value of an attribute to check.
  * @param {Control} controls (optional) either a Control or [Control].
  * @param {Function} callback of the form f(err, boolean, res).
  * @throws {TypeError} on invalid input.
  */
-Client.prototype.compare = function(name,
-                                    attribute,
-                                    value,
-                                    controls,
-                                    callback) {
+Client.prototype.compare = function(name, attr, value, controls, callback) {
   if (typeof(name) !== 'string')
     throw new TypeError('name (string) required');
-  if (typeof(attribute) !== 'string')
+  if (typeof(attr) !== 'string')
     throw new TypeError('attribute (string) required');
   if (typeof(value) !== 'string')
     throw new TypeError('value (string) required');
@@ -348,7 +366,7 @@ Client.prototype.compare = function(name,
 
   var req = new CompareRequest({
     entry: dn.parse(name),
-    attribute: attribute,
+    attribute: attr,
     value: value,
     controls: controls
   });
diff --git a/lib/messages/search_entry.js b/lib/messages/search_entry.js
index 8847e31..be40910 100644
--- a/lib/messages/search_entry.js
+++ b/lib/messages/search_entry.js
@@ -26,14 +26,6 @@ function SearchEntry(options) {
       throw new TypeError('options must be an object');
     if (options.objectName && !(options.objectName instanceof dn.DN))
       throw new TypeError('options.objectName must be a DN');
-    if (options.attributes && !Array.isArray(options.attributes))
-      throw new TypeError('options.attributes must be an array[Attribute]');
-    if (options.attributes && options.attributes.length) {
-      options.attributes.forEach(function(a) {
-        if (!(a instanceof Attribute))
-          throw new TypeError('options.attributes must be an array[Attribute]');
-      });
-  }
   } else {
     options = {};
   }
@@ -42,12 +34,21 @@ function SearchEntry(options) {
   LDAPMessage.call(this, options);
 
   this.objectName = options.objectName || null;
-  this.attributes = options.attributes ? options.attributes.slice(0) : [];
+  this.setAttributes(options.attributes || []);
 
   var self = this;
   this.__defineGetter__('type', function() { return 'SearchEntry'; });
+  this.__defineGetter__('object', function() {
+    var obj = {
+      dn: self.dn.toString()
+    };
+    self.attributes.forEach(function(a) {
+      obj[a.type] = a.vals.length > 1 ? a.vals.slice() : a.vals[0];
+    });
+    return obj;
+  });
   this.__defineGetter__('_dn', function() {
-    return self.objectName.toString();
+    return self.objectName;
   });
 }
 util.inherits(SearchEntry, LDAPMessage);
@@ -62,6 +63,35 @@ SearchEntry.prototype.addAttribute = function(attr) {
 };
 
 
+SearchEntry.prototype.setAttributes = function(obj) {
+  if (typeof(obj) !== 'object')
+    throw new TypeError('object required');
+
+  if (Array.isArray(obj)) {
+    obj.forEach(function(a) {
+      if (!Attribute.isAttribute(a))
+        throw new TypeError('entry must be an Array of Attributes');
+    });
+    this.attributes = obj;
+  } else {
+    var self = this;
+
+    self.attributes = [];
+    Object.keys(obj).forEach(function(k) {
+      var attr = new Attribute({type: k});
+      if (Array.isArray(obj[k])) {
+        obj[k].forEach(function(v) {
+          attr.addValue(v.toString());
+        });
+      } else {
+        attr.addValue(obj[k].toString());
+      }
+      self.attributes.push(attr);
+    });
+  }
+};
+
+
 SearchEntry.prototype._json = function(j) {
   assert.ok(j);
 
diff --git a/tst/client.test.js b/tst/client.test.js
index 3d8f04d..2116f26 100644
--- a/tst/client.test.js
+++ b/tst/client.test.js
@@ -81,12 +81,10 @@ test('setup', function(t) {
   server.search(SUFFIX, function(req, res, next) {
     var e = res.createSearchEntry({
       objectName: req.dn,
-      attributes: [
-        new Attribute({
-          type: 'cn',
-          vals: ['test']
-        })
-      ]
+      attributes: {
+        cn: ['unit', 'test'],
+        sn: 'testy'
+      }
     });
     res.send(e);
     res.send(e);
@@ -154,6 +152,20 @@ test('add success', function(t) {
 });
 
 
+test('add success with object', function(t) {
+  var entry = {
+    cn: ['unit', 'add'],
+    sn: 'test'
+  };
+  client.add('cn=add, ' + SUFFIX, entry, function(err, res) {
+    t.ifError(err);
+    t.ok(res);
+    t.equal(res.status, 0);
+    t.end();
+  });
+});
+
+
 test('compare success', function(t) {
   client.compare('cn=compare, ' + SUFFIX, 'cn', 'test', function(err,
                                                                  matched,
@@ -238,6 +250,22 @@ test('modify success', function(t) {
 });
 
 
+test('modify change plain object success', function(t) {
+  var change = new Change({
+    type: 'Replace',
+    modification: {
+      cn: 'test'
+    }
+  });
+  client.modify('cn=modify, ' + SUFFIX, change, function(err, res) {
+    t.ifError(err);
+    t.ok(res);
+    t.equal(res.status, 0);
+    t.end();
+  });
+});
+
+
 test('modify array success', function(t) {
   var changes = [
     new Change({
@@ -294,6 +322,7 @@ test('search basic', function(t) {
       t.equal(entry.dn.toString(), 'cn=test, ' + SUFFIX);
       t.ok(entry.attributes);
       t.ok(entry.attributes.length);
+      t.ok(entry.object);
       gotEntry++;
     });
     res.on('error', function(err) {