diff --git a/core/build.gradle b/core/build.gradle
index 749ea8fe..cc0d701b 100644
--- a/core/build.gradle
+++ b/core/build.gradle
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ dependencies {
                 "gsbase:gsbase:$gsbaseVersion",
                 "org.mockito:mockito-core:$mockitoVersion",
                 "org.slf4j:slf4j-log4j12:$slf4jVersion",
-                "org.springframework:spring-test:$springVersion"
-
-}
-
+                "org.springframework:spring-test:$springVersion",
+                powerMockDependencies
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper.java
index 5b716ee5..312b00f7 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import javax.naming.NamingEnumeration;
 import javax.naming.NamingException;
 import javax.naming.directory.Attribute;
 import javax.naming.directory.Attributes;
+
 import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
@@ -68,16 +69,19 @@ public class DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper implements ObjectDirectoryMapper {
 
 
     public DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper() {
-        if(isAtLeast30()) {
-            this.converterManager = new ConversionServiceConverterManager();
-        } else {
-            this.converterManager = new ConverterManagerImpl();
-        }
-
+        this.converterManager = createDefaultConverterManager();
     }
 
-    private boolean isAtLeast30() {
-        return SpringVersion.getVersion().compareTo("3.0") > 0;
+    private static ConverterManager createDefaultConverterManager() {
+        String springVersion = SpringVersion.getVersion();
+        if(springVersion == null) {
+            LOG.debug("Could not default convertManager, please ensure to explicitly set it");
+            return null;
+        } else if(springVersion.compareTo("3.0") > 0) {
+            return new ConversionServiceConverterManager();
+        } else {
+            return new ConversionServiceConverterManager();
+        }
     }
 
     public void setConverterManager(ConverterManager converterManager) {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapperTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapperTest.java
index 1116ebfc..26363745 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapperTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ldap/odm/core/impl/DefaultObjectDirectoryMapperTest.java
@@ -1,25 +1,34 @@
 package org.springframework.ldap.odm.core.impl;
 
-import org.junit.Before;
-import org.junit.Test;
-import org.junit.matchers.JUnitMatchers;
-import org.springframework.ldap.support.LdapUtils;
-import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
-
-import javax.naming.Name;
-import java.lang.reflect.Field;
-
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.powermock.api.mockito.PowerMockito.spy;
+import static org.powermock.api.mockito.PowerMockito.when;
 import static org.springframework.ldap.query.LdapQueryBuilder.query;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
+
+import javax.naming.Name;
+
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.matchers.JUnitMatchers;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.powermock.core.classloader.annotations.PrepareForTest;
+import org.powermock.modules.junit4.PowerMockRunner;
+import org.springframework.core.SpringVersion;
+import org.springframework.ldap.support.LdapUtils;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
+
 /**
  * @author Mattias Hellborg Arthursson
  */
+@RunWith(PowerMockRunner.class)
+@PrepareForTest(SpringVersion.class)
 public class DefaultObjectDirectoryMapperTest {
 
     private DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper tested;
@@ -29,6 +38,15 @@ public class DefaultObjectDirectoryMapperTest {
         tested = new DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper();
     }
 
+    // LDAP-295
+    @Test
+    public void springVersionIsNull() {
+        spy(SpringVersion.class);
+        when(SpringVersion.getVersion()).thenReturn(null);
+
+        new DefaultObjectDirectoryMapper();
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testMapping() {
         tested.manageClass(UnitTestPerson.class);
diff --git a/gradle/java.gradle b/gradle/java.gradle
index b664fe85..73c3901d 100644
--- a/gradle/java.gradle
+++ b/gradle/java.gradle
@@ -16,6 +16,16 @@ ext.log4jVersion = '1.2.15'
 ext.mockitoVersion = '1.9.5'
 ext.queryDslVersion = '3.2.4'
 ext.slf4jVersion = '1.7.5'
+ext.powerMockVersion = '1.5.1'
+
+ext.powerMockDependencies = [
+    "org.powermock:powermock-core:$powerMockVersion",
+    "org.powermock:powermock-api-support:$powerMockVersion",
+    "org.powermock:powermock-module-junit4-common:$powerMockVersion",
+    "org.powermock:powermock-module-junit4:$powerMockVersion",
+    "org.powermock:powermock-api-mockito:$powerMockVersion",
+    "org.powermock:powermock-reflect:$powerMockVersion"
+]
 
 repositories {
     mavenCentral()