diff --git a/spring-ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/control/AbstractRequestControlDirContextProcessor.java b/spring-ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/control/AbstractRequestControlDirContextProcessor.java
index e9b9fdee..58428995 100644
--- a/spring-ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/control/AbstractRequestControlDirContextProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/control/AbstractRequestControlDirContextProcessor.java
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractRequestControlDirContextProcessor implements
         }
 
         Control[] requestControls = ldapContext.getRequestControls();
+        if (requestControls == null) {
+            requestControls = new Control[0];
+        }
         Control newControl = createRequestControl();
 
         Control[] newControls = new Control[requestControls.length + 1];
diff --git a/spring-ldap/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/control/AbstractRequestControlDirContextProcessorTest.java b/spring-ldap/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/control/AbstractRequestControlDirContextProcessorTest.java
index cff82ba0..c6e8258c 100644
--- a/spring-ldap/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/control/AbstractRequestControlDirContextProcessorTest.java
+++ b/spring-ldap/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/control/AbstractRequestControlDirContextProcessorTest.java
@@ -134,6 +134,20 @@ public class AbstractRequestControlDirContextProcessorTest extends TestCase {
         verify();
     }
 
+    public void testPreProcess_NullControls() throws NamingException {
+        ldapContextControl.setDefaultMatcher(MockControl.ARRAY_MATCHER);
+        ldapContextControl.expectAndDefaultReturn(ldapContextMock
+                .getRequestControls(), null);
+        ldapContextMock
+                .setRequestControls(new Control[] { requestControlMock });
+
+        replay();
+
+        tested.preProcess(ldapContextMock);
+
+        verify();
+    }
+
     public void testPreProcess_NotLdapContext() throws Exception {
         try {
             tested.preProcess(dirContextMock);