diff --git a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AuthenticationConstants.java b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AuthenticationConstants.java
index 35c9bfd7..88e4d2b6 100644
--- a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AuthenticationConstants.java
+++ b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AuthenticationConstants.java
@@ -29,4 +29,9 @@ public class AuthenticationConstants
     // for User Manager Authenticator
     public static final String AUTHN_NO_SUCH_USER = "1";
 
+    /**
+     * @since 2.1
+     */
+    public static final String AUTHN_RUNTIME_EXCEPTION = "2";
+
 }
diff --git a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AuthenticationResult.java b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AuthenticationResult.java
index 90a4cf07..2608959a 100644
--- a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AuthenticationResult.java
+++ b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AuthenticationResult.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import org.apache.archiva.redback.users.User;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 /**
diff --git a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/DefaultAuthenticationManager.java b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/DefaultAuthenticationManager.java
index b05539b0..85c6d595 100644
--- a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/DefaultAuthenticationManager.java
+++ b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/DefaultAuthenticationManager.java
@@ -46,21 +46,21 @@
 public class DefaultAuthenticationManager
     implements AuthenticationManager
 {
-    
+
     private List<Authenticator> authenticators;
 
     @Inject
     private ApplicationContext applicationContext;
-    
+
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     @PostConstruct
     public void initialize()
     {
-        this.authenticators = new ArrayList<Authenticator>
-       ( applicationContext.getBeansOfType( Authenticator.class ).values() );
+        this.authenticators =
+            new ArrayList<Authenticator>( applicationContext.getBeansOfType( Authenticator.class ).values() );
     }
-    
-    
+
+
     public String getId()
     {
         return "Default Authentication Manager - " + this.getClass().getName() + " : managed authenticators - " +
@@ -77,13 +77,13 @@ public AuthenticationResult authenticate( AuthenticationDataSource source )
         }
 
         // put AuthenticationResult exceptions in a map
-        Map<String,String> authnResultExceptionsMap = new HashMap<String,String>();
+        Map<String, String> authnResultExceptionsMap = new HashMap<String, String>();
         for ( Authenticator authenticator : authenticators )
         {
             if ( authenticator.supportsDataSource( source ) )
             {
                 AuthenticationResult authResult = authenticator.authenticate( source );
-                Map<String,String> exceptionsMap = authResult.getExceptionsMap();
+                Map<String, String> exceptionsMap = authResult.getExceptionsMap();
 
                 if ( authResult.isAuthenticated() )
                 {
@@ -94,6 +94,16 @@ public AuthenticationResult authenticate( AuthenticationDataSource source )
                 {
                     authnResultExceptionsMap.putAll( exceptionsMap );
                 }
+                else
+                {
+                    if ( authResult.getException() != null )
+                    {
+                        authnResultExceptionsMap.put( AuthenticationConstants.AUTHN_RUNTIME_EXCEPTION,
+                                                      authResult.getException().getMessage() );
+                    }
+                }
+
+
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-providers/redback-authentication-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/ldap/LdapBindAuthenticator.java b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-providers/redback-authentication-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/ldap/LdapBindAuthenticator.java
index 56b86b13..3269c1a7 100644
--- a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-providers/redback-authentication-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/ldap/LdapBindAuthenticator.java
+++ b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-providers/redback-authentication-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/ldap/LdapBindAuthenticator.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 
+import org.apache.archiva.redback.authentication.AuthenticationConstants;
 import org.apache.archiva.redback.common.ldap.UserMapper;
 import org.apache.archiva.redback.common.ldap.connection.LdapConnectionFactory;
 import org.apache.archiva.redback.configuration.UserConfiguration;
@@ -42,6 +43,8 @@
 import javax.naming.directory.DirContext;
 import javax.naming.directory.SearchControls;
 import javax.naming.directory.SearchResult;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 /**
  * LdapBindAuthenticator: