diff --git a/ldapuserdir/ldapuserdir.py b/ldapuserdir/ldapuserdir.py
index 9a0d633..f236c82 100644
--- a/ldapuserdir/ldapuserdir.py
+++ b/ldapuserdir/ldapuserdir.py
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ class LdapUserDir(object):
         self.serverurl = serverurl
         self.group_ou = group_ou
         self.user_ou = user_ou
+        self.user_dn = user_dn
+        self.user_pw = user_pw
 
         # whether to only search for entries with msSFU mappings
         #  i.e. with existing unix attributes
@@ -89,9 +91,10 @@ class LdapUserDir(object):
         self.logger.debug('binding to: %s\n' % serverurl)
         self.logger.debug('binding as user: %s\n' % user_dn)
         try:
-            self._ldap.bind_s(user_dn, user_pw)
+            self._ldap.bind_s(self.user_dn, self.user_pw)
         except ldap.INVALID_CREDENTIALS, e:
-            self.logger.error('Authentication failure for dn:"%s"\n' % user_dn)
+            self.logger.error('Authentication failure for dn:"%s"\n' %
+                              self.user_dn)
             raise
         # need to clean that later
         except ldap.LDAPError, e:
@@ -114,9 +117,15 @@ class LdapUserDir(object):
                 attempts += 1
                 repl = self._ldap.search_s(base, scope, filterstr, attrlist,
                                        attrsonly)
-            except ldap.SERVER_DOWN:
-                self.logger.warning("Got ldap server down: Reconnecting (try %s)"
-                                    % attempts)
+            except Exception, err:
+                ok = False
+                self.logger.warning("Got ldap error: Reconnecting (try %s). "
+                                    % attempts +
+                "Error was: " + str(err))
+                if attempts >= recon_attempts:
+                    raise
+
+                # we try to reconnect and rebind
                 try:
                     del self._ldap
                 except Exception, err:
@@ -138,10 +147,19 @@ class LdapUserDir(object):
                                         " (server: %s)" %
                                         self.serverurl
                                         + ": %s" % str(err))
-                    
-                if attempts >= recon_attempts:
-                    raise
-                ok = False
+
+                try:
+                    self._ldap.bind_s(self.user_dn, self.user_pw)
+                except ldap.INVALID_CREDENTIALS, e:
+                    self.logger.error('Authentication failure for dn:"%s"\n'
+                                      % self.user_dn)
+                except Exception, err:
+                    self.logger.warning("ldap binding error" +
+                                        " (server: %s)" %
+                                        self.serverurl
+                                        + ": %s" % str(err))
+
+
 
         return repl