diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/authenticate/LDAPAuthentication.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/authenticate/LDAPAuthentication.java
index f3c6022e02..afd82db863 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/authenticate/LDAPAuthentication.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/authenticate/LDAPAuthentication.java
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ import static org.dspace.eperson.service.EPersonService.MD_PHONE;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.sql.SQLException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Hashtable;
+import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import javax.naming.NamingEnumeration;
 import javax.naming.NamingException;
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ import org.dspace.services.factory.DSpaceServicesFactory;
  * @author Reuben Pasquini
  * @author Samuel Ottenhoff
  * @author Ivan Masár
+ * @author Michael Plate
  */
 public class LDAPAuthentication
     implements AuthenticationMethod {
@@ -391,7 +394,7 @@ public class LDAPAuthentication
         protected String ldapGivenName = null;
         protected String ldapSurname = null;
         protected String ldapPhone = null;
-        protected String ldapGroup = null;
+        protected ArrayList<String> ldapGroup = null;
 
         /**
          * LDAP settings
@@ -406,9 +409,9 @@ public class LDAPAuthentication
         final String ldap_surname_field;
         final String ldap_phone_field;
         final String ldap_group_field;
-
         final boolean useTLS;
 
+
         SpeakerToLDAP(Logger thelog) {
             ConfigurationService configurationService
                     = DSpaceServicesFactory.getInstance().getConfigurationService();
@@ -547,7 +550,11 @@ public class LDAPAuthentication
                         if (attlist[4] != null) {
                             att = atts.get(attlist[4]);
                             if (att != null) {
-                                ldapGroup = (String) att.get();
+                                // loop through all groups returned by LDAP
+                                ldapGroup = new ArrayList<String>();
+                                for (NamingEnumeration val = att.getAll(); val.hasMoreElements(); )  {
+                                    ldapGroup.add((String) val.next());
+                                }
                             }
                         }
 
@@ -693,48 +700,69 @@ public class LDAPAuthentication
     /*
      * Add authenticated users to the group defined in dspace.cfg by
      * the authentication-ldap.login.groupmap.* key.
+     * 
+     * @param dn
+     *  The string containing distinguished name of the user
+     * 
+     * @param group
+     *  List of strings with LDAP dn of groups
+     * 
+     * @param context
+     *  DSpace context
      */
-    private void assignGroups(String dn, String group, Context context) {
+    private void assignGroups(String dn, ArrayList<String> group, Context context) {
         if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(dn)) {
             System.out.println("dn:" + dn);
             int i = 1;
             String groupMap = configurationService.getProperty("authentication-ldap.login.groupmap." + i);
-
             boolean cmp;
 
+
+            // groupmap contains the mapping of LDAP groups to DSpace groups
+            // outer loop with the DSpace groups
             while (groupMap != null) {
                 String t[] = groupMap.split(":");
                 String ldapSearchString = t[0];
                 String dspaceGroupName = t[1];
 
-                if (group == null) {
-                    cmp = StringUtils.containsIgnoreCase(dn, ldapSearchString + ",");
-                } else {
-                    cmp = StringUtils.equalsIgnoreCase(group, ldapSearchString);
-                }
+                // list of strings with dn from LDAP groups
+                // inner loop
+                Iterator<String> groupIterator = group.iterator();
+                while (groupIterator.hasNext())  {
 
-                if (cmp) {
-                    // assign user to this group
-                    try {
-                        Group ldapGroup = groupService.findByName(context, dspaceGroupName);
-                        if (ldapGroup != null) {
-                            groupService.addMember(context, ldapGroup, context.getCurrentUser());
-                            groupService.update(context, ldapGroup);
-                        } else {
-                            // The group does not exist
-                            log.warn(LogHelper.getHeader(context,
-                                                          "ldap_assignGroupsBasedOnLdapDn",
-                                                          "Group defined in authentication-ldap.login.groupmap." + i
-                                                              + " does not exist :: " + dspaceGroupName));
+                    // save the current entry from iterator for further use
+                    String currentGroup = groupIterator.next();
+
+                    // very much the old code from DSpace <= 7.5
+                    if (currentGroup == null) {
+                        cmp = StringUtils.containsIgnoreCase(dn, ldapSearchString + ",");
+                    } else {
+                        cmp = StringUtils.equalsIgnoreCase(currentGroup, ldapSearchString);
+                    }
+
+                    if (cmp) {
+                        // assign user to this group
+                        try {
+                            Group ldapGroup = groupService.findByName(context, dspaceGroupName);
+                            if (ldapGroup != null) {
+                                groupService.addMember(context, ldapGroup, context.getCurrentUser());
+                                groupService.update(context, ldapGroup);
+                            } else {
+                                // The group does not exist
+                                log.warn(LogHelper.getHeader(context,
+                                                            "ldap_assignGroupsBasedOnLdapDn",
+                                                            "Group defined in authentication-ldap.login.groupmap." + i
+                                                                + " does not exist :: " + dspaceGroupName));
+                            }
+                        } catch (AuthorizeException ae) {
+                            log.debug(LogHelper.getHeader(context,
+                                                        "assignGroupsBasedOnLdapDn could not authorize addition to " +
+                                                            "group",
+                                                        dspaceGroupName));
+                        } catch (SQLException e) {
+                            log.debug(LogHelper.getHeader(context, "assignGroupsBasedOnLdapDn could not find group",
+                                                            dspaceGroupName));
                         }
-                    } catch (AuthorizeException ae) {
-                        log.debug(LogHelper.getHeader(context,
-                                                       "assignGroupsBasedOnLdapDn could not authorize addition to " +
-                                                           "group",
-                                                       dspaceGroupName));
-                    } catch (SQLException e) {
-                        log.debug(LogHelper.getHeader(context, "assignGroupsBasedOnLdapDn could not find group",
-                                                       dspaceGroupName));
                     }
                 }