diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 10e7f313fa..d12b00b60d 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -27,12 +27,15 @@ allprojects {
     ext.snapshotBuild = version.endsWith('SNAPSHOT')
     ext.springVersion = '3.2.7.RELEASE'
     ext.spring4Version = '4.0.1.RELEASE'
+    ext.springLdapVersion = '1.3.2.RELEASE'
+    ext.springLdap2Version = '2.0.1.CI-SNAPSHOT'
 
     group = 'org.springframework.security'
 
     repositories {
        mavenCentral()
-       maven { url "http://repo.springsource.org/plugins-release" }
+       maven { url "https://repo.spring.io/libs-snapshot" }
+       maven { url "https://repo.spring.io/plugins-release" }
        maven { url "http://repo.terracotta.org/maven2/" }
     }
 
@@ -117,6 +120,9 @@ configure(coreModuleProjects) {
             if (details.requested.name == 'ehcache-terracotta') {
                 details.useVersion '2.1.1'
             }
+            if (details.requested.group == 'org.springframework.ldap') {
+                details.useVersion springLdap2Version
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/gradle/javaprojects.gradle b/gradle/javaprojects.gradle
index 86e7e69129..5f20df2e69 100644
--- a/gradle/javaprojects.gradle
+++ b/gradle/javaprojects.gradle
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ apply plugin: 'propdeps-eclipse'
 sourceCompatibility = 1.5
 targetCompatibility = 1.5
 
-ext.springLdapVersion = '1.3.2.RELEASE'
 ext.ehcacheVersion = '1.6.2'
 ext.aspectjVersion = '1.6.10'
 ext.apacheDsVersion = '1.5.5'
diff --git a/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/LdapEncoder.java b/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/LdapEncoder.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..406a98d30f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/LdapEncoder.java
@@ -0,0 +1,237 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2005-2010 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * 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.springframework.security.ldap;
+
+import org.springframework.ldap.BadLdapGrammarException;
+
+/**
+ * Helper class to encode and decode ldap names and values.
+ * 
+ * <p>
+ * NOTE: This is a copy from Spring LDAP so that both Spring LDAP 1.x and 2.x
+ * can be supported without reflection.
+ * </p>
+ * 
+ * @author Adam Skogman
+ * @author Mattias Hellborg Arthursson
+ */
+final class LdapEncoder {
+
+    private static final int HEX = 16;
+    private static String[] NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE = new String[96];
+
+    private static String[] FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE = new String['\\' + 1];
+
+    static {
+
+        // Name encoding table -------------------------------------
+
+        // all below 0x20 (control chars)
+        for (char c = 0; c < ' '; c++) {
+            NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE[c] = "\\" + toTwoCharHex(c);
+        }
+
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['#'] = "\\#";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE[','] = "\\,";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE[';'] = "\\;";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['='] = "\\=";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['+'] = "\\+";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['<'] = "\\<";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['>'] = "\\>";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['\"'] = "\\\"";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['\\'] = "\\\\";
+
+        // Filter encoding table -------------------------------------
+
+        // fill with char itself
+        for (char c = 0; c < FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE.length; c++) {
+            FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE[c] = String.valueOf(c);
+        }
+
+        // escapes (RFC2254)
+        FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE['*'] = "\\2a";
+        FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE['('] = "\\28";
+        FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE[')'] = "\\29";
+        FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE['\\'] = "\\5c";
+        FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE[0] = "\\00";
+
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * All static methods - not to be instantiated.
+     */
+    private LdapEncoder() {
+    }
+
+    protected static String toTwoCharHex(char c) {
+
+        String raw = Integer.toHexString(c).toUpperCase();
+
+        if (raw.length() > 1) {
+            return raw;
+        } else {
+            return "0" + raw;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Escape a value for use in a filter.
+     * 
+     * @param value
+     *            the value to escape.
+     * @return a properly escaped representation of the supplied value.
+     */
+    public static String filterEncode(String value) {
+
+        if (value == null)
+            return null;
+
+        // make buffer roomy
+        StringBuilder encodedValue = new StringBuilder(value.length() * 2);
+
+        int length = value.length();
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+
+            char c = value.charAt(i);
+
+            if (c < FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE.length) {
+                encodedValue.append(FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE[c]);
+            } else {
+                // default: add the char
+                encodedValue.append(c);
+            }
+        }
+
+        return encodedValue.toString();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * LDAP Encodes a value for use with a DN. Escapes for LDAP, not JNDI!
+     * 
+     * <br/>Escapes:<br/> ' ' [space] - "\ " [if first or last] <br/> '#'
+     * [hash] - "\#" <br/> ',' [comma] - "\," <br/> ';' [semicolon] - "\;" <br/> '=
+     * [equals] - "\=" <br/> '+' [plus] - "\+" <br/> '&lt;' [less than] -
+     * "\&lt;" <br/> '&gt;' [greater than] - "\&gt;" <br/> '"' [double quote] -
+     * "\"" <br/> '\' [backslash] - "\\" <br/>
+     * 
+     * @param value
+     *            the value to escape.
+     * @return The escaped value.
+     */
+    public static String nameEncode(String value) {
+
+        if (value == null)
+            return null;
+
+        // make buffer roomy
+        StringBuilder encodedValue = new StringBuilder(value.length() * 2);
+
+        int length = value.length();
+        int last = length - 1;
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+
+            char c = value.charAt(i);
+
+            // space first or last
+            if (c == ' ' && (i == 0 || i == last)) {
+                encodedValue.append("\\ ");
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if (c < NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE.length) {
+                // check in table for escapes
+                String esc = NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE[c];
+
+                if (esc != null) {
+                    encodedValue.append(esc);
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
+
+            // default: add the char
+            encodedValue.append(c);
+        }
+
+        return encodedValue.toString();
+
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Decodes a value. Converts escaped chars to ordinary chars.
+     * 
+     * @param value
+     *            Trimmed value, so no leading an trailing blanks, except an
+     *            escaped space last.
+     * @return The decoded value as a string.
+     * @throws BadLdapGrammarException
+     */
+    static public String nameDecode(String value)
+            throws BadLdapGrammarException {
+
+        if (value == null)
+            return null;
+
+        // make buffer same size
+        StringBuilder decoded = new StringBuilder(value.length());
+
+        int i = 0;
+        while (i < value.length()) {
+            char currentChar = value.charAt(i);
+            if (currentChar == '\\') {
+                if (value.length() <= i + 1) {
+                    // Ending with a single backslash is not allowed
+                    throw new BadLdapGrammarException(
+                            "Unexpected end of value " + "unterminated '\\'");
+                } else {
+                    char nextChar = value.charAt(i + 1);
+                    if (nextChar == ',' || nextChar == '=' || nextChar == '+'
+                            || nextChar == '<' || nextChar == '>'
+                            || nextChar == '#' || nextChar == ';'
+                            || nextChar == '\\' || nextChar == '\"'
+                            || nextChar == ' ') {
+                        // Normal backslash escape
+                        decoded.append(nextChar);
+                        i += 2;
+                    } else {
+                        if (value.length() <= i + 2) {
+                            throw new BadLdapGrammarException(
+                                    "Unexpected end of value "
+                                            + "expected special or hex, found '"
+                                            + nextChar + "'");
+                        } else {
+                            // This should be a hex value
+                            String hexString = "" + nextChar
+                                    + value.charAt(i + 2);
+                            decoded.append((char) Integer.parseInt(hexString,
+                                    HEX));
+                            i += 3;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            } else {
+                // This character wasn't escaped - just append it
+                decoded.append(currentChar);
+                i++;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return decoded.toString();
+
+    }
+}
diff --git a/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/SpringSecurityLdapTemplate.java b/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/SpringSecurityLdapTemplate.java
index f6fd2d3a60..e5fd840c1d 100644
--- a/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/SpringSecurityLdapTemplate.java
+++ b/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/SpringSecurityLdapTemplate.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import org.springframework.ldap.core.ContextSource;
 import org.springframework.ldap.core.DirContextAdapter;
 import org.springframework.ldap.core.DirContextOperations;
 import org.springframework.ldap.core.DistinguishedName;
-import org.springframework.ldap.core.LdapEncoder;
 import org.springframework.ldap.core.LdapTemplate;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
diff --git a/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/authentication/AbstractLdapAuthenticator.java b/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/authentication/AbstractLdapAuthenticator.java
index 23e3072223..27ee5e0c1d 100644
--- a/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/authentication/AbstractLdapAuthenticator.java
+++ b/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/authentication/AbstractLdapAuthenticator.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 
 package org.springframework.security.ldap.authentication;
 
-import org.springframework.ldap.core.LdapEncoder;
 import org.springframework.security.core.SpringSecurityMessageSource;
 import org.springframework.security.ldap.search.LdapUserSearch;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
diff --git a/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/authentication/LdapEncoder.java b/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/authentication/LdapEncoder.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..71f5ca9575
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ldap/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/ldap/authentication/LdapEncoder.java
@@ -0,0 +1,237 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2005-2010 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * 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.springframework.security.ldap.authentication;
+
+import org.springframework.ldap.BadLdapGrammarException;
+
+/**
+ * Helper class to encode and decode ldap names and values.
+ * 
+ * <p>
+ * NOTE: This is a copy from Spring LDAP so that both Spring LDAP 1.x and 2.x
+ * can be supported without reflection.
+ * </p>
+ * 
+ * @author Adam Skogman
+ * @author Mattias Hellborg Arthursson
+ */
+final class LdapEncoder {
+
+    private static final int HEX = 16;
+    private static String[] NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE = new String[96];
+
+    private static String[] FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE = new String['\\' + 1];
+
+    static {
+
+        // Name encoding table -------------------------------------
+
+        // all below 0x20 (control chars)
+        for (char c = 0; c < ' '; c++) {
+            NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE[c] = "\\" + toTwoCharHex(c);
+        }
+
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['#'] = "\\#";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE[','] = "\\,";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE[';'] = "\\;";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['='] = "\\=";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['+'] = "\\+";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['<'] = "\\<";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['>'] = "\\>";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['\"'] = "\\\"";
+        NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE['\\'] = "\\\\";
+
+        // Filter encoding table -------------------------------------
+
+        // fill with char itself
+        for (char c = 0; c < FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE.length; c++) {
+            FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE[c] = String.valueOf(c);
+        }
+
+        // escapes (RFC2254)
+        FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE['*'] = "\\2a";
+        FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE['('] = "\\28";
+        FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE[')'] = "\\29";
+        FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE['\\'] = "\\5c";
+        FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE[0] = "\\00";
+
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * All static methods - not to be instantiated.
+     */
+    private LdapEncoder() {
+    }
+
+    protected static String toTwoCharHex(char c) {
+
+        String raw = Integer.toHexString(c).toUpperCase();
+
+        if (raw.length() > 1) {
+            return raw;
+        } else {
+            return "0" + raw;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Escape a value for use in a filter.
+     * 
+     * @param value
+     *            the value to escape.
+     * @return a properly escaped representation of the supplied value.
+     */
+    public static String filterEncode(String value) {
+
+        if (value == null)
+            return null;
+
+        // make buffer roomy
+        StringBuilder encodedValue = new StringBuilder(value.length() * 2);
+
+        int length = value.length();
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+
+            char c = value.charAt(i);
+
+            if (c < FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE.length) {
+                encodedValue.append(FILTER_ESCAPE_TABLE[c]);
+            } else {
+                // default: add the char
+                encodedValue.append(c);
+            }
+        }
+
+        return encodedValue.toString();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * LDAP Encodes a value for use with a DN. Escapes for LDAP, not JNDI!
+     * 
+     * <br/>Escapes:<br/> ' ' [space] - "\ " [if first or last] <br/> '#'
+     * [hash] - "\#" <br/> ',' [comma] - "\," <br/> ';' [semicolon] - "\;" <br/> '=
+     * [equals] - "\=" <br/> '+' [plus] - "\+" <br/> '&lt;' [less than] -
+     * "\&lt;" <br/> '&gt;' [greater than] - "\&gt;" <br/> '"' [double quote] -
+     * "\"" <br/> '\' [backslash] - "\\" <br/>
+     * 
+     * @param value
+     *            the value to escape.
+     * @return The escaped value.
+     */
+    public static String nameEncode(String value) {
+
+        if (value == null)
+            return null;
+
+        // make buffer roomy
+        StringBuilder encodedValue = new StringBuilder(value.length() * 2);
+
+        int length = value.length();
+        int last = length - 1;
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+
+            char c = value.charAt(i);
+
+            // space first or last
+            if (c == ' ' && (i == 0 || i == last)) {
+                encodedValue.append("\\ ");
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if (c < NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE.length) {
+                // check in table for escapes
+                String esc = NAME_ESCAPE_TABLE[c];
+
+                if (esc != null) {
+                    encodedValue.append(esc);
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
+
+            // default: add the char
+            encodedValue.append(c);
+        }
+
+        return encodedValue.toString();
+
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Decodes a value. Converts escaped chars to ordinary chars.
+     * 
+     * @param value
+     *            Trimmed value, so no leading an trailing blanks, except an
+     *            escaped space last.
+     * @return The decoded value as a string.
+     * @throws BadLdapGrammarException
+     */
+    static public String nameDecode(String value)
+            throws BadLdapGrammarException {
+
+        if (value == null)
+            return null;
+
+        // make buffer same size
+        StringBuilder decoded = new StringBuilder(value.length());
+
+        int i = 0;
+        while (i < value.length()) {
+            char currentChar = value.charAt(i);
+            if (currentChar == '\\') {
+                if (value.length() <= i + 1) {
+                    // Ending with a single backslash is not allowed
+                    throw new BadLdapGrammarException(
+                            "Unexpected end of value " + "unterminated '\\'");
+                } else {
+                    char nextChar = value.charAt(i + 1);
+                    if (nextChar == ',' || nextChar == '=' || nextChar == '+'
+                            || nextChar == '<' || nextChar == '>'
+                            || nextChar == '#' || nextChar == ';'
+                            || nextChar == '\\' || nextChar == '\"'
+                            || nextChar == ' ') {
+                        // Normal backslash escape
+                        decoded.append(nextChar);
+                        i += 2;
+                    } else {
+                        if (value.length() <= i + 2) {
+                            throw new BadLdapGrammarException(
+                                    "Unexpected end of value "
+                                            + "expected special or hex, found '"
+                                            + nextChar + "'");
+                        } else {
+                            // This should be a hex value
+                            String hexString = "" + nextChar
+                                    + value.charAt(i + 2);
+                            decoded.append((char) Integer.parseInt(hexString,
+                                    HEX));
+                            i += 3;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            } else {
+                // This character wasn't escaped - just append it
+                decoded.append(currentChar);
+                i++;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return decoded.toString();
+
+    }
+}