diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/ldap/LdapCallback.java b/core/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/ldap/LdapCallback.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3aeef33516
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/ldap/LdapCallback.java
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/* Copyright 2004, 2005 Acegi Technology Pty Limited
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.acegisecurity.ldap;
+
+import javax.naming.NamingException;
+import javax.naming.directory.DirContext;
+
+/**
+ * Callback object for use with LdapTemplate.
+ *
+ * @author Ben Alex
+ */
+public interface LdapCallback {
+	public Object execute(DirContext dirContext) throws NamingException;
+}
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/ldap/LdapTemplate.java b/core/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/ldap/LdapTemplate.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cd4c202d6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/ldap/LdapTemplate.java
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+/* Copyright 2004, 2005 Acegi Technology Pty Limited
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.acegisecurity.ldap;
+
+import javax.naming.NamingException;
+import javax.naming.NamingEnumeration;
+import javax.naming.directory.DirContext;
+import javax.naming.directory.SearchControls;
+
+import org.springframework.dao.DataAccessException;
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
+
+/**
+ * LDAP equivalent of the Spring JdbcTemplate class.
+ *
+ * @author Ben Alex
+ * @author Luke Taylor
+ *
+ */
+public class LdapTemplate {
+    public static final String[] NO_ATTRS = new String[0];
+
+    private InitialDirContextFactory dirContextFactory;
+    private String userDn = null;
+    private String password = null;
+
+    public LdapTemplate(InitialDirContextFactory dirContextFactory) {
+        Assert.notNull(dirContextFactory, "An InitialDirContextFactory is required");
+        this.dirContextFactory = dirContextFactory;
+    }
+
+    public LdapTemplate(InitialDirContextFactory dirContextFactory, String userDn, String password) {
+        this(dirContextFactory);
+
+        Assert.hasLength(userDn, "userDn must not be null or empty");
+        Assert.notNull(password, "password cannot be null");
+
+        this.userDn = userDn;
+        this.password = password;
+    }
+
+    public Object execute(LdapCallback callback) throws DataAccessException {
+        DirContext ctx = null;
+
+        try {
+            ctx = (userDn == null) ?
+                    dirContextFactory.newInitialDirContext() :
+                    dirContextFactory.newInitialDirContext(userDn, password);
+
+            return callback.execute(ctx);
+
+        } catch (NamingException exception) {
+            // TODO: Write a static method in separate NamingExceptionExceptionTranslator class called public DataAccessException convert(NamingException);
+            throw new LdapDataAccessException("xxxx", exception);
+        } finally {
+            LdapUtils.closeContext(ctx);
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    public boolean compare(final String dn, final String attributeName, final Object value) {
+        final String comparisonFilter = "(" + attributeName + "={0})";
+
+        class LdapCompareCallback implements LdapCallback {
+
+            public Object execute(DirContext ctx) throws NamingException {
+                SearchControls ctls = new SearchControls();
+                ctls.setReturningAttributes(NO_ATTRS);
+                ctls.setSearchScope(SearchControls.OBJECT_SCOPE);
+
+                NamingEnumeration results =
+                        ctx.search(dn, comparisonFilter, new Object[]{value}, ctls);
+
+                return Boolean.valueOf(results.hasMore());
+            }
+        }
+
+
+        Boolean matches = (Boolean)execute(new LdapCompareCallback());
+
+        return matches.booleanValue();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/ldap/LdapTemplateTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/ldap/LdapTemplateTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9234fb1308
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/ldap/LdapTemplateTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/* Copyright 2004, 2005 Acegi Technology Pty Limited
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.acegisecurity.ldap;
+
+/**
+ * @author Luke Taylor
+ * @version $Id$
+ */
+public class LdapTemplateTests extends AbstractLdapServerTestCase {
+
+    protected void onSetUp() {
+        getInitialCtxFactory().setManagerDn(MANAGER_USER);
+        getInitialCtxFactory().setManagerPassword(MANAGER_PASSWORD);
+    }
+
+
+    public void testCompareOfCorrectValueSucceeds() {
+        LdapTemplate template = new LdapTemplate(getInitialCtxFactory());
+
+// Doesn't work with embedded server due to bugs in apacheds
+//        assertTrue(template.compare("uid=bob,ou=people", "userPassword", LdapUtils.getUtf8Bytes("bobspassword")));
+    }
+
+    public void testCompareOfWrongValueFails() {
+        LdapTemplate template = new LdapTemplate(getInitialCtxFactory());
+
+// Doesn't work with embedded server due to bugs in apacheds
+//        assertFalse(template.compare("uid=bob,ou=people", "userPassword", LdapUtils.getUtf8Bytes("wrongvalue")));
+    }
+
+
+}