diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/security/LDAPSecurityRealm.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/security/LDAPSecurityRealm.java
index 6944688..c037ac6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/security/LDAPSecurityRealm.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/security/LDAPSecurityRealm.java
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ package hudson.security;
 
 import groovy.lang.Binding;
 import hudson.Extension;
-import hudson.Util;
+import static hudson.Util.fixNull;
+import static hudson.Util.fixEmptyAndTrim;
+import static hudson.Util.fixEmpty;
 import hudson.model.Descriptor;
 import hudson.model.Hudson;
 import hudson.model.User;
@@ -274,14 +276,14 @@ public class LDAPSecurityRealm extends SecurityRealm {
     @DataBoundConstructor
     public LDAPSecurityRealm(String server, String rootDN, String userSearchBase, String userSearch, String groupSearchBase, String managerDN, String managerPassword) {
         this.server = server.trim();
-        this.managerDN = Util.fixEmpty(managerDN);
-        this.managerPassword = Scrambler.scramble(Util.fixEmpty(managerPassword));
-        if(Util.fixEmptyAndTrim(rootDN)==null)    rootDN=Util.fixNull(inferRootDN(server));
+        this.managerDN = fixEmpty(managerDN);
+        this.managerPassword = Scrambler.scramble(fixEmpty(managerPassword));
+        if(fixEmptyAndTrim(rootDN)==null)    rootDN= fixNull(inferRootDN(server));
         this.rootDN = rootDN.trim();
-        this.userSearchBase = userSearchBase.trim();
-        userSearch = Util.fixEmptyAndTrim(userSearch);
+        this.userSearchBase = fixNull(userSearchBase).trim();
+        userSearch = fixEmptyAndTrim(userSearch);
         this.userSearch = userSearch!=null ? userSearch : "uid={0}";
-        this.groupSearchBase = Util.fixEmptyAndTrim(groupSearchBase);
+        this.groupSearchBase = fixEmptyAndTrim(groupSearchBase);
     }
 
     public String getServerUrl() {
@@ -326,7 +328,7 @@ public class LDAPSecurityRealm extends SecurityRealm {
     }
 
     public String getLDAPURL() {
-        return getServerUrl()+'/'+Util.fixNull(rootDN);
+        return getServerUrl()+'/'+ fixNull(rootDN);
     }
 
     public SecurityComponents createSecurityComponents() {
@@ -449,7 +451,7 @@ public class LDAPSecurityRealm extends SecurityRealm {
         String rolePrefix;
         boolean convertToUpperCase;
         public AuthoritiesPopulatorImpl(InitialDirContextFactory initialDirContextFactory, String groupSearchBase) {
-            super(initialDirContextFactory, groupSearchBase);
+            super(initialDirContextFactory, fixNull(groupSearchBase));
             // These match the defaults in acegi 1.0.5; set again to store in non-private fields:
             setRolePrefix("ROLE_");
             setConvertToUpperCase(true);
diff --git a/test/src/test/groovy/hudson/security/LDAPSecurityRealmTest.groovy b/test/src/test/groovy/hudson/security/LDAPSecurityRealmTest.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0d7c79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/src/test/groovy/hudson/security/LDAPSecurityRealmTest.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*
+ * The MIT License
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2004-2009, Sun Microsystems
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+package hudson.security
+
+import org.jvnet.hudson.test.HudsonTestCase
+
+/**
+ *
+ *
+ * @author Kohsuke Kawaguchi
+ */
+public class LDAPSecurityRealmTest extends HudsonTestCase {
+    /**
+     * This minimal test still causes the 'LDAPBindSecurityRealm.groovy' to be parsed, allowing us to catch
+     * basic syntax errors and such.
+     */
+    void testGroovyBeanDef() {
+        hudson.securityRealm = new LDAPSecurityRealm("ldap.itd.umich.edu",null,null,null,null,null,null);
+        println hudson.securityRealm.securityComponents // force the component creation
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/war/resources/WEB-INF/security/LDAPBindSecurityRealm.groovy b/war/resources/WEB-INF/security/LDAPBindSecurityRealm.groovy
index 589270d..ee0edca 100644
--- a/war/resources/WEB-INF/security/LDAPBindSecurityRealm.groovy
+++ b/war/resources/WEB-INF/security/LDAPBindSecurityRealm.groovy
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ bindAuthenticator(BindAuthenticator2,initialDirContextFactory) {
     userSearch = ldapUserSearch;
 }
 
-authoritiesPopulator(AuthoritiesPopulatorImpl, initialDirContextFactory, Util.fixNull(instance.groupSearchBase)) {
+authoritiesPopulator(AuthoritiesPopulatorImpl, initialDirContextFactory, instance.groupSearchBase) {
     // see DefaultLdapAuthoritiesPopulator for other possible configurations
     searchSubtree = true;
     groupSearchFilter = "(| (member={0}) (uniqueMember={0}) (memberUid={1}))";