diff -rupN mantisbt-1.2.17/config_defaults_inc.php mantisbt-1.2.17-ldap-starttls/config_defaults_inc.php
--- mantisbt-1.2.17/config_defaults_inc.php	2014-03-03 14:19:50.000000000 -0500
+++ mantisbt-1.2.17-ldap-starttls/config_defaults_inc.php	2014-09-18 14:37:37.000000000 -0400
@@ -1765,6 +1765,13 @@
 	$g_ldap_bind_passwd		= '';
 
 	/**
+	 * Should the connection use STARTTLS (use ldap:// url for server address)
+	 *
+	 * @global string $g_ldap_starttls
+	 */
+	$g_ldap_starttls		= FALSE;
+
+	/**
 	 * Should we send to the LDAP email address or what MySql tells us
 	 * @global int $g_use_ldap_email
 	 */
diff -rupN mantisbt-1.2.17/core/constant_inc.php mantisbt-1.2.17-ldap-starttls/core/constant_inc.php
--- mantisbt-1.2.17/core/constant_inc.php	2014-03-03 14:19:50.000000000 -0500
+++ mantisbt-1.2.17-ldap-starttls/core/constant_inc.php	2014-09-18 14:37:37.000000000 -0400
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ define( 'ERROR_LDAP_SERVER_CONNECT_FAILE
 define( 'ERROR_LDAP_UPDATE_FAILED', 1402 );
 define( 'ERROR_LDAP_USER_NOT_FOUND', 1403 );
 define( 'ERROR_LDAP_EXTENSION_NOT_LOADED', 1404 );
+define( 'ERROR_LDAP_UNABLE_TO_STARTTLS', 1405 );
 
 # ERROR_CATEGORY_*
 define( 'ERROR_CATEGORY_DUPLICATE', 1500 );
diff -rupN mantisbt-1.2.17/core/ldap_api.php mantisbt-1.2.17-ldap-starttls/core/ldap_api.php
--- mantisbt-1.2.17/core/ldap_api.php	2014-03-03 14:19:50.000000000 -0500
+++ mantisbt-1.2.17-ldap-starttls/core/ldap_api.php	2014-09-18 14:37:37.000000000 -0400
@@ -50,6 +50,13 @@ function ldap_connect_bind( $p_binddn = 
     log_event( LOG_LDAP, "Attempting connection to LDAP URI '{$t_ldap_server}'." );
     $t_ds = @ldap_connect( $t_ldap_server );
     
+	$t_ldap_starttls = config_get( 'ldap_starttls');
+	if ($t_ldap_starttls) {
+		if (! @ldap_start_tls($t_ds)){
+			log_event( LOG_LDAP, "Error: Cannot initiate STARTTLS on LDAP Server" );
+			trigger_error( ERROR_LDAP_UNABLE_TO_STARTTLS, ERROR );
+		}
+	}
 	if ( $t_ds !== false && $t_ds > 0 ) {
 		log_event( LOG_LDAP, "Connection accepted by LDAP server" );
 		$t_protocol_version = config_get( 'ldap_protocol_version' );