diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/authenticate/LDAPHierarchicalAuthentication.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/authenticate/LDAPHierarchicalAuthentication.java
index fba2960eb0..66a8b0e5fd 100755
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/authenticate/LDAPHierarchicalAuthentication.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/authenticate/LDAPHierarchicalAuthentication.java
@@ -397,10 +397,19 @@ public class LDAPHierarchicalAuthentication
 			env.put(javax.naming.Context.INITIAL_CONTEXT_FACTORY, "com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtxFactory");
 			env.put(javax.naming.Context.PROVIDER_URL, ldap_provider_url);
 
-			// Authenticate
-			env.put(javax.naming.Context.SECURITY_AUTHENTICATION, "simple");
-			env.put(javax.naming.Context.SECURITY_PRINCIPAL, adminUser);
-			env.put(javax.naming.Context.SECURITY_CREDENTIALS, adminPassword);
+            if ((adminUser != null) && (!adminUser.trim().equals("")) &&
+                (adminPassword != null) && (!adminPassword.trim().equals("")))
+            {
+                // Use admin credencials for search// Authenticate
+                env.put(javax.naming.Context.SECURITY_AUTHENTICATION, "simple");
+                env.put(javax.naming.Context.SECURITY_PRINCIPAL, adminUser);
+                env.put(javax.naming.Context.SECURITY_CREDENTIALS, adminPassword);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // Use anonymous authentication
+                env.put(javax.naming.Context.SECURITY_AUTHENTICATION, "none");
+            }
 
 			DirContext ctx = null;
 			try
diff --git a/dspace/CHANGES b/dspace/CHANGES
index b452c68d71..1c7caab0a9 100644
--- a/dspace/CHANGES
+++ b/dspace/CHANGES
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
  - Fix for SF bug [2086481] xmlui Administrative log in as another eperson
  - Fix for SF bug [2155479] Submission verify page handles dc.identifier.* incorrectly
 
-(Stuart Lewis / Chris Yates / Flavio Botelho / Alex Barbieri / Reuben Pasquini)
+(Stuart Lewis / Chris Yates / Flavio Botelho / Alex Barbieri / Reuben Pasquini / Paulo Matos)
  - [2057378] Hierarchical LDAP support
 
 (Paul Needham / Jon Bell / Stuart Lewis)
diff --git a/dspace/config/dspace.cfg b/dspace/config/dspace.cfg
index a4bb1cc6ac..1cdec8f8ad 100644
--- a/dspace/config/dspace.cfg
+++ b/dspace/config/dspace.cfg
@@ -466,7 +466,8 @@ webui.ldap.autoregister = true
 #ldap.search_scope = 2
 
 # The full DN and password of a user allowed to connect to the LDAP server
-# and search for the DN of the user trying to log in.
+# and search for the DN of the user trying to log in. If these are not specified,
+# the initial bind will be performed anonymously.
 #ldap.search.user = cn=admin,ou=people,o=myu.edu
 #ldap.search.password = password