diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapAutoConfiguration.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapAutoConfiguration.java
index bad5dc1950..07d43eb9d3 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapAutoConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapAutoConfiguration.java
@@ -17,14 +17,13 @@
 package org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.ldap;
 
 import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Locale;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.ObjectProvider;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.AutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.EnableAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.condition.ConditionalOnClass;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.condition.ConditionalOnMissingBean;
-import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.ldap.LdapProperties.Referral;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.ldap.LdapProperties.Template;
 import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.EnableConfigurationProperties;
 import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.PropertyMapper;
@@ -69,7 +68,9 @@ public class LdapAutoConfiguration {
 		propertyMapper.from(connectionDetails.getUsername()).to(source::setUserDn);
 		propertyMapper.from(connectionDetails.getPassword()).to(source::setPassword);
 		propertyMapper.from(properties.getAnonymousReadOnly()).to(source::setAnonymousReadOnly);
-		Optional.ofNullable(properties.getReferral()).map(Referral::getMode).ifPresent(source::setReferral);
+		propertyMapper.from(properties.getReferral())
+			.as(((referral) -> referral.name().toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT)))
+			.to(source::setReferral);
 		propertyMapper.from(connectionDetails.getBase()).to(source::setBase);
 		propertyMapper.from(connectionDetails.getUrls()).to(source::setUrls);
 		propertyMapper.from(properties.getBaseEnvironment())
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapProperties.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapProperties.java
index cbb7edbdc2..8ca76d59ab 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapProperties.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapProperties.java
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ public class LdapProperties {
 	private Boolean anonymousReadOnly;
 
 	/**
-	 * Set the method to handle referrals.
+	 * Specify how referrals encountered by the service provider are to be processed. If
+	 * not specified, the default is determined by the provider.
 	 */
 	private Referral referral;
 
@@ -197,34 +198,24 @@ public class LdapProperties {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Enum to define how referrals encountered by the service provider are to be processed.
+	 * Define the methods to handle referrals.
 	 */
 	public enum Referral {
 
 		/**
-		 * follow referrals automatically
+		 * Follow referrals automatically.
 		 */
-		FOLLOW("follow"),
+		FOLLOW,
 
 		/**
-		 * ignore referrals
+		 * Ignore referrals.
 		 */
-		IGNORE("ignore"),
+		IGNORE,
 
 		/**
-		 * throw a {@link ReferralException} for each referral
+		 * Throw {@link ReferralException} when a referral is encountered.
 		 */
-		THROW("throw");
-
-		private final String mode;
-
-		Referral(String mode) {
-			this.mode = mode;
-		}
-
-		public String getMode() {
-			return this.mode;
-		}
+		THROW
 
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapAutoConfigurationTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapAutoConfigurationTests.java
index 7c2adb243b..d36350b1f6 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapAutoConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/ldap/LdapAutoConfigurationTests.java
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ import org.springframework.ldap.support.LdapUtils;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
-import static org.springframework.test.util.ReflectionTestUtils.getField;
 
 /**
  * Tests for {@link LdapAutoConfiguration}.
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ class LdapAutoConfigurationTests {
 	void contextSourceWithReferral() {
 		this.contextRunner.withPropertyValues("spring.ldap.referral:ignore").run((context) -> {
 			LdapContextSource contextSource = context.getBean(LdapContextSource.class);
-			assertThat(getField(contextSource, "referral")).isEqualTo("ignore");
+			assertThat(contextSource).hasFieldOrPropertyWithValue("referral", "ignore");
 		});
 	}