diff --git apps/useradmin/src/useradmin/ldap_access.py apps/useradmin/src/useradmin/ldap_access.py
index dd7dfae128698dbae5399667afc754274df5ceda..c4152c54e5e34d8e66c16365e5aa51964b6e6a05 100644
--- apps/useradmin/src/useradmin/ldap_access.py
+++ apps/useradmin/src/useradmin/ldap_access.py
@@ -111,7 +111,10 @@ class LdapConnection(object):
     else:
       ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_REFERRALS, 0)
 
-    self.ldap_handle = ldap.initialize(ldap_url)
+    if ldap_config.LDAP_DEBUG.get():
+      ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_DEBUG_LEVEL, ldap_config.LDAP_DEBUG_LEVEL.get())
+
+    self.ldap_handle = ldap.initialize(uri=ldap_url, trace_level=ldap_config.LDAP_TRACE_LEVEL.get())
 
     if bind_user is not None:
       try:
diff --git desktop/conf.dist/hue.ini desktop/conf.dist/hue.ini
index 246f924ff0ce9ac46f0082813651781ce995802a..b445e11aa8e40c22553bed8363830166a0545ba5 100644
--- desktop/conf.dist/hue.ini
+++ desktop/conf.dist/hue.ini
@@ -269,6 +269,17 @@
     # Whether or not to follow referrals
     ## follow_referrals=false
 
+    # Set to a value to enable python-ldap debugging.
+    ## ldap_debug=
+
+    # Sets the debug level within the underlying LDAP C lib.
+    ## ldap_debug_level=255
+
+    # Possible values for trace_level are 0 for no logging, 1 for only logging the method calls with arguments,
+    # 2 for logging the method calls with arguments and the complete results and 9 for also logging the traceback of method calls.
+    ## ldap_trace_level=0
+    
+    
     [[[users]]]
 
       # Base filter for searching for users
diff --git desktop/core/src/desktop/conf.py desktop/core/src/desktop/conf.py
index f25069b66c46319c02a141fc6037b7a26196e848..642869a6b56ec6c35d0aa37baf26655e290c3fa9 100644
--- desktop/core/src/desktop/conf.py
+++ desktop/core/src/desktop/conf.py
@@ -501,6 +501,18 @@ LDAP = ConfigSection(
       type=coerce_bool,
       default=False),
 
+    LDAP_DEBUG = Config("ldap_debug",
+      default=None,
+      help=_("Set to a value to enable python-ldap debugging.")),
+    LDAP_DEBUG_LEVEL = Config("ldap_debug_level",
+      default=255,
+      type=int,
+      help=_("Sets the debug level within the underlying LDAP C lib.")),
+    LDAP_TRACE_LEVEL = Config("ldap_trace_level",
+      default=0,
+      type=int,
+      help=_("Possible values for trace_level are 0 for no logging, 1 for only logging the method calls with arguments," 
+             "2 for logging the method calls with arguments and the complete results and 9 for also logging the traceback of method calls.")),
 
     LDAP_SERVERS = UnspecifiedConfigSection(
       key="ldap_servers",