diff --git a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AbstractAuthenticator.java b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AbstractAuthenticator.java
index 1c80bc3c..80d1918f 100644
--- a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AbstractAuthenticator.java
+++ b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/AbstractAuthenticator.java
@@ -24,9 +24,15 @@ package org.apache.archiva.redback.authentication;
 public abstract class AbstractAuthenticator
     implements Authenticator
 {
+    protected boolean valid = false;
+
     public void initialize()
         throws AuthenticationException
     {
-        // no op
+        valid = true;
+    }
+
+    public boolean isValid() {
+        return valid;
     }
 }
diff --git a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/Authenticator.java b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/Authenticator.java
index 6efe11ca..ce997573 100644
--- a/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/Authenticator.java
+++ b/redback-authentication/redback-authentication-api/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/authentication/Authenticator.java
@@ -38,4 +38,6 @@ public interface Authenticator
         throws AccountLockedException, AuthenticationException, MustChangePasswordException;
 
     void initialize() throws AuthenticationException;
+
+    boolean isValid();
 }
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 d5342bff..bda32762 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
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public class DefaultAuthenticationManager
         List<AuthenticationFailureCause> authnResultErrors = new ArrayList<AuthenticationFailureCause>();
         for ( Authenticator authenticator : authenticators )
         {
-            if ( authenticator.supportsDataSource( source ) )
+            if ( authenticator.isValid() && authenticator.supportsDataSource( source ) )
             {
                 AuthenticationResult authResult = authenticator.authenticate( source );
                 List<AuthenticationFailureCause> authenticationFailureCauses =
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 648b2f9b..fedae347 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
@@ -208,4 +208,9 @@ public class LdapBindAuthenticator
             log.warn( "skip exception closing naming search result {}", e.getMessage() );
         }
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean isValid() {
+        return connectionFactory.isValid();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/redback-common/redback-common-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/common/ldap/connection/ConfigurableLdapConnectionFactory.java b/redback-common/redback-common-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/common/ldap/connection/ConfigurableLdapConnectionFactory.java
index 4aab487d..2340cc5e 100644
--- a/redback-common/redback-common-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/common/ldap/connection/ConfigurableLdapConnectionFactory.java
+++ b/redback-common/redback-common-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/common/ldap/connection/ConfigurableLdapConnectionFactory.java
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ package org.apache.archiva.redback.common.ldap.connection;
 
 import org.apache.archiva.redback.configuration.UserConfiguration;
 import org.apache.archiva.redback.configuration.UserConfigurationKeys;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
 
 import javax.annotation.PostConstruct;
@@ -41,6 +43,8 @@ public class ConfigurableLdapConnectionFactory
     implements LdapConnectionFactory
 {
 
+    private final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ConfigurableLdapConnectionFactory.class);
+
     private String hostname;
 
     private int port;
@@ -61,6 +65,8 @@ public class ConfigurableLdapConnectionFactory
 
     private LdapConnectionConfiguration ldapConnectionConfiguration;
 
+    private boolean valid = false;
+
 
     @Inject
     @Named(value = "userConfiguration#default")
@@ -90,10 +96,11 @@ public class ConfigurableLdapConnectionFactory
             ldapConnectionConfiguration.setAuthenticationMethod(
                 userConf.getString( UserConfigurationKeys.LDAP_AUTHENTICATION_METHOD, authenticationMethod ) );
             ldapConnectionConfiguration.setExtraProperties( extraProperties );
+            valid = true;
         }
         catch ( InvalidNameException e )
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException( "Error while initializing connection factory.", e );
+            log.error("Error during initialization of LdapConnectionFactory "+e.getMessage(),e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -266,4 +273,8 @@ public class ConfigurableLdapConnectionFactory
     {
         this.userConf = userConf;
     }
+
+    public boolean isValid() {
+        return valid;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/redback-common/redback-common-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/common/ldap/connection/LdapConnectionFactory.java b/redback-common/redback-common-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/common/ldap/connection/LdapConnectionFactory.java
index d81b3e23..4d6ec030 100644
--- a/redback-common/redback-common-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/common/ldap/connection/LdapConnectionFactory.java
+++ b/redback-common/redback-common-ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/archiva/redback/common/ldap/connection/LdapConnectionFactory.java
@@ -51,4 +51,6 @@ public interface LdapConnectionFactory
 
     void initialize();
 
+    public boolean isValid();
+
 }