diff --git a/ldapuserdir/ldapuserdir.py b/ldapuserdir/ldapuserdir.py
index 7a016d8..c737ead 100644
--- a/ldapuserdir/ldapuserdir.py
+++ b/ldapuserdir/ldapuserdir.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ with an LDAP based user directory service
 """
 
 import ldap
-import ldap.ldapobject
+#import ldap.ldapobject
 import os
 import sys
 import re
@@ -70,13 +70,16 @@ class LdapUserDir(object):
         else:
             self.logger = logger
 
-        #self._ldap = ldap.initialize(self.serverurl, trace_level=0,
-        #                             trace_file=sys.stderr)
+        self._ldap = ldap.initialize(self.serverurl, trace_level=0,
+                                    trace_file=sys.stderr)
         # use a class which will try reconnections to the server by itself
-        self._ldap = ldap.ldapobject.ReconnectLDAPObject(self.serverurl,
-                                                         trace_level=0,
-                                                         trace_file=sys.stderr,
-                                                         retry_max=2)
+        # self._ldap = ldap.ldapobject.ReconnectLDAPObject(self.serverurl,
+        #                                                  trace_level=0,
+        #                                                  trace_file=sys.stderr,
+        #                                                  retry_max=2)
+        # note: this strangely led to empty answers after some time of
+        # running on the test extranet deployment. Maybe need to manage that
+        # myself
         self.logger.debug('binding to: %s\n' % serverurl)
         self.logger.debug('binding as user: %s\n' % user_dn)
         try:
@@ -88,6 +91,36 @@ class LdapUserDir(object):
         except ldap.LDAPError, e:
             raise
 
+    def search_s_reconn(self, base, scope, filterstr='(objectClass=*)',
+                        attrlist=None, attrsonly=0, recon_attempts = 2):
+        """ wrapper of standard ldap.search_s synchronous search that
+        tries to reconnect
+        """
+        attempts = 0
+        ok = False
+        while ok == False:
+            try:
+                ok = True
+                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)
+                try:
+                    self._ldap = ldap.initialize(self.serverurl, trace_level=0,
+                                                 trace_file=sys.stderr)
+                except ldap.SERVER_DOWN:
+                    time.sleep(1)
+                    
+                if attempts >= recon_attempts:
+                    raise
+                ok = False
+
+        return repl
+          
+        #def search_s(self,base,scope,filterstr='(objectClass=*)',attrlist=None,attrsonly=0):
+
     def get_users(self, filter='*', ou=None):
         """get the names of all users from the directory service
         @param filter A filter expression used for the cn part of the ldap dn
@@ -97,7 +130,7 @@ class LdapUserDir(object):
         if ou == None:
             user_ou = self.user_ou
         #try:
-        r = self._ldap.search_s(user_ou, ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE,
+        r = self.search_s_reconn(user_ou, ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE,
                                 self.searches['get_users'] % filter)
         #except ldap.LDAPError, e:
         #    print e
@@ -144,7 +177,7 @@ class LdapUserDir(object):
         #try:
         srch = self.searches['systemuser2dn'] % uname
         self.logger.debug('systemuser2dn: %s' % srch)
-        r = self._ldap.search_s(self.user_ou, ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE, srch)
+        r = self.search_s_reconn(self.user_ou, ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE, srch)
         #except ldap.LDAPError, e:
         #    print e
         if len(r) == 0:
@@ -165,7 +198,7 @@ class LdapUserDir(object):
         #try:
         srch = self.searches['get_groups_struct'] % gfilter
         self.logger.debug('get_groups_struct: %s' % srch)
-        r = self._ldap.search_s(group_ou, ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE, srch)
+        r = self.search_s_reconn(group_ou, ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE, srch)
         #except ldap.LDAPError, e:
         #    print e
         return r
@@ -190,7 +223,7 @@ class LdapUserDir(object):
         srch = self.searches['get_groups_for_user'] % (gfilter, dnname)
 
         self.logger.debug('get_groups_for_user: %s' % srch)
-        r = self._ldap.search_s(group_ou, ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE, srch)
+        r = self.search_s_reconn(group_ou, ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE, srch)
 
         reslist = []
         for dn, entry in r: