diff --git a/source4/lib/ldb/common/ldb.c b/source4/lib/ldb/common/ldb.c
index 450fa75d8e5..e268a8d0d7e 100644
--- a/source4/lib/ldb/common/ldb.c
+++ b/source4/lib/ldb/common/ldb.c
@@ -178,3 +178,34 @@ const char *ldb_errstring(struct ldb_context *ldb)
 	return ldb->modules->ops->errstring(ldb->modules);
 }
 
+
+/*
+  set backend specific opaque parameters
+*/
+int ldb_set_opaque(struct ldb_context *ldb, const char *name, void *value)
+{
+	struct ldb_opaque *o = talloc(ldb, struct ldb_opaque);
+	if (o == NULL) {
+		ldb_oom(ldb);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	o->next = ldb->opaque;
+	o->name = name;
+	o->value = value;
+	ldb->opaque = o;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+  get a previously set opaque value
+*/
+void *ldb_get_opaque(struct ldb_context *ldb, const char *name)
+{
+	struct ldb_opaque *o;
+	for (o=ldb->opaque;o;o=o->next) {
+		if (strcmp(o->name, name) == 0) {
+			return o->value;
+		}
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/source4/lib/ldb/include/ldb.h b/source4/lib/ldb/include/ldb.h
index e980633a62a..9a3186b41c9 100644
--- a/source4/lib/ldb/include/ldb.h
+++ b/source4/lib/ldb/include/ldb.h
@@ -372,4 +372,8 @@ int ldb_set_debug(struct ldb_context *ldb,
 /* this sets up debug to print messages on stderr */
 int ldb_set_debug_stderr(struct ldb_context *ldb);
 
+/* control backend specific opaque values */
+int ldb_set_opaque(struct ldb_context *ldb, const char *name, void *value);
+void *ldb_get_opaque(struct ldb_context *ldb, const char *name);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/source4/lib/ldb/include/ldb_private.h b/source4/lib/ldb/include/ldb_private.h
index 92588e13fdc..8f91b0d9b17 100644
--- a/source4/lib/ldb/include/ldb_private.h
+++ b/source4/lib/ldb/include/ldb_private.h
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ struct ldb_context {
 
 	/* debugging operations */
 	struct ldb_debug_ops debug_ops;
+
+	/* backend specific opaque parameters */
+	struct ldb_opaque {
+		struct ldb_opaque *next;
+		const char *name;
+		void *value;
+	} *opaque;
 };
 
 /* the modules init function */
diff --git a/source4/lib/ldb/ldb_ildap/ldb_ildap.c b/source4/lib/ldb/ldb_ildap/ldb_ildap.c
index eefe80c919b..b51139aa6f9 100644
--- a/source4/lib/ldb/ldb_ildap/ldb_ildap.c
+++ b/source4/lib/ldb/ldb_ildap/ldb_ildap.c
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ int ildb_connect(struct ldb_context *ldb, const char *url,
 
 	ildb->rootDSE = NULL;
 
-	ildb->ldap = ldap_new_connection(ildb, NULL);
+	ildb->ldap = ldap_new_connection(ildb, ldb_get_opaque(ldb, "EventContext"));
 	if (!ildb->ldap) {
 		ldb_oom(ldb);
 		goto failed;
@@ -421,7 +421,8 @@ int ildb_connect(struct ldb_context *ldb, const char *url,
 	ldb->modules->private_data = ildb;
 	ldb->modules->ops = &ildb_ops;
 
-	if (cmdline_credentials->username_obtained > CRED_GUESSED) {
+	if (cmdline_credentials != NULL &&
+	    cmdline_credentials->username_obtained > CRED_GUESSED) {
 		status = ldap_bind_sasl(ildb->ldap, cmdline_credentials);
 		if (!NT_STATUS_IS_OK(status)) {
 			ldb_debug(ldb, LDB_DEBUG_ERROR, "Failed to bind - %s\n",