diff --git a/lib/net/ldap.rb b/lib/net/ldap.rb
index ffb48719..7c151895 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap.rb
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ class LDAP
 require 'net/ldap/connection'
 require 'net/ldap/version'
 require 'net/ldap/error'
+require 'net/ldap/auth_adapter'
+require 'net/ldap/auth_adapter/simple'
+require 'net/ldap/auth_adapter/sasl'
+
+Net::LDAP::AuthAdapter.register([:simple, :anon, :anonymous], Net::LDAP::AuthAdapter::Simple)
+Net::LDAP::AuthAdapter.register(:sasl, Net::LDAP::AuthAdapter::Sasl)
 
 # == Quick-start for the Impatient
 # === Quick Example of a user-authentication against an LDAP directory:
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter.rb b/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f74232d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+module Net
+  class LDAP
+    class AuthAdapter
+      def self.register(names, adapter)
+        names = Array(names)
+        @adapters ||= {}
+        names.each do |name|
+          @adapters[name] = adapter
+        end
+      end
+
+      def self.[](name)
+        a = @adapters[name]
+        if a.nil?
+          raise Net::LDAP::AuthMethodUnsupportedError, "Unsupported auth method (#{name})"
+        end
+        return a
+      end
+
+      def initialize(conn)
+        @connection = conn
+      end
+
+      def bind
+        raise "bind method must be overwritten"
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter/gss_spnego.rb b/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter/gss_spnego.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e251f038
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter/gss_spnego.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+require 'net/ldap/auth_adapter'
+require 'net/ldap/auth_adapter/sasl'
+
+module Net
+  class LDAP
+    module AuthAdapers
+      #--
+      # PROVISIONAL, only for testing SASL implementations. DON'T USE THIS YET.
+      # Uses Kohei Kajimoto's Ruby/NTLM. We have to find a clean way to
+      # integrate it without introducing an external dependency.
+      #
+      # This authentication method is accessed by calling #bind with a :method
+      # parameter of :gss_spnego. It requires :username and :password
+      # attributes, just like the :simple authentication method. It performs a
+      # GSS-SPNEGO authentication with the server, which is presumed to be a
+      # Microsoft Active Directory.
+      #++
+      class GSS_SPNEGO < Net::LDAP::AuthAdapter
+        def bind(auth)
+          require 'ntlm'
+
+          user, psw = [auth[:username] || auth[:dn], auth[:password]]
+          raise Net::LDAP::BindingInformationInvalidError, "Invalid binding information" unless (user && psw)
+
+          nego = proc { |challenge|
+            t2_msg = NTLM::Message.parse(challenge)
+            t3_msg = t2_msg.response({ :user => user, :password => psw },
+                                     { :ntlmv2 => true })
+            t3_msg.serialize
+          }
+
+          Net::LDAP::AuthAdapter::Sasl.new(@connection).
+            bind(:method => :sasl, :mechanism => "GSS-SPNEGO",
+                    :initial_credential => NTLM::Message::Type1.new.serialize,
+                    :challenge_response => nego)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter/sasl.rb b/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter/sasl.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fa7315b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter/sasl.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+require 'net/ldap/auth_adapter'
+
+module Net
+  class LDAP
+    class AuthAdapter
+      class Sasl < Net::LDAP::AuthAdapter
+        #--
+        # Required parameters: :mechanism, :initial_credential and
+        # :challenge_response
+        #
+        # Mechanism is a string value that will be passed in the SASL-packet's
+        # "mechanism" field.
+        #
+        # Initial credential is most likely a string. It's passed in the initial
+        # BindRequest that goes to the server. In some protocols, it may be empty.
+        #
+        # Challenge-response is a Ruby proc that takes a single parameter and
+        # returns an object that will typically be a string. The
+        # challenge-response block is called when the server returns a
+        # BindResponse with a result code of 14 (saslBindInProgress). The
+        # challenge-response block receives a parameter containing the data
+        # returned by the server in the saslServerCreds field of the LDAP
+        # BindResponse packet. The challenge-response block may be called multiple
+        # times during the course of a SASL authentication, and each time it must
+        # return a value that will be passed back to the server as the credential
+        # data in the next BindRequest packet.
+        #++
+        def bind(auth)
+          mech, cred, chall = auth[:mechanism], auth[:initial_credential],
+            auth[:challenge_response]
+          raise Net::LDAP::BindingInformationInvalidError, "Invalid binding information" unless (mech && cred && chall)
+
+          message_id = @connection.next_msgid
+
+          n = 0
+          loop {
+            sasl = [mech.to_ber, cred.to_ber].to_ber_contextspecific(3)
+            request = [
+              Net::LDAP::Connection::LdapVersion.to_ber, "".to_ber, sasl
+            ].to_ber_appsequence(Net::LDAP::PDU::BindRequest)
+
+            @connection.send(:write, request, nil, message_id)
+            pdu = @connection.queued_read(message_id)
+
+            if !pdu || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::BindResult
+              raise Net::LDAP::NoBindResultError, "no bind result"
+            end
+
+            return pdu unless pdu.result_code == Net::LDAP::ResultCodeSaslBindInProgress
+            raise Net::LDAP::SASLChallengeOverflowError, "sasl-challenge overflow" if ((n += 1) > MaxSaslChallenges)
+
+            cred = chall.call(pdu.result_server_sasl_creds)
+          }
+
+          raise Net::LDAP::SASLChallengeOverflowError, "why are we here?"
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter/simple.rb b/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter/simple.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d01b57ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/auth_adapter/simple.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+require 'net/ldap/auth_adapter'
+
+module Net
+  class LDAP
+    class AuthAdapter
+      class Simple < AuthAdapter
+        def bind(auth)
+          user, psw = if auth[:method] == :simple
+                        [auth[:username] || auth[:dn], auth[:password]]
+                      else
+                        ["", ""]
+                      end
+
+          raise Net::LDAP::BindingInformationInvalidError, "Invalid binding information" unless (user && psw)
+
+          message_id = @connection.next_msgid
+          request    = [
+            Net::LDAP::Connection::LdapVersion.to_ber, user.to_ber,
+            psw.to_ber_contextspecific(0)
+          ].to_ber_appsequence(Net::LDAP::PDU::BindRequest)
+
+          @connection.send(:write, request, nil, message_id)
+          pdu = @connection.queued_read(message_id)
+
+          if !pdu || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::BindResult
+            raise Net::LDAP::NoBindResultError, "no bind result"
+          end
+
+          pdu
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb b/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
index 05aedfef..f45e54a0 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
@@ -250,130 +250,11 @@ def next_msgid
   def bind(auth)
     instrument "bind.net_ldap_connection" do |payload|
       payload[:method] = meth = auth[:method]
-      if [:simple, :anonymous, :anon].include?(meth)
-        bind_simple auth
-      elsif meth == :sasl
-        bind_sasl(auth)
-      elsif meth == :gss_spnego
-        bind_gss_spnego(auth)
-      else
-        raise Net::LDAP::AuthMethodUnsupportedError, "Unsupported auth method (#{meth})"
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
-  #--
-  # Implements a simple user/psw authentication. Accessed by calling #bind
-  # with a method of :simple or :anonymous.
-  #++
-  def bind_simple(auth)
-    user, psw = if auth[:method] == :simple
-                  [auth[:username] || auth[:dn], auth[:password]]
-                else
-                  ["", ""]
-                end
-
-    raise Net::LDAP::BindingInformationInvalidError, "Invalid binding information" unless (user && psw)
-
-    message_id = next_msgid
-    request    = [
-      LdapVersion.to_ber, user.to_ber,
-      psw.to_ber_contextspecific(0)
-    ].to_ber_appsequence(Net::LDAP::PDU::BindRequest)
-
-    write(request, nil, message_id)
-    pdu = queued_read(message_id)
-
-    if !pdu || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::BindResult
-      raise Net::LDAP::NoBindResultError, "no bind result"
+      adapter = Net::LDAP::AuthAdapter[meth]
+      adapter.new(self).bind(auth)
     end
-
-    pdu
   end
 
-  #--
-  # Required parameters: :mechanism, :initial_credential and
-  # :challenge_response
-  #
-  # Mechanism is a string value that will be passed in the SASL-packet's
-  # "mechanism" field.
-  #
-  # Initial credential is most likely a string. It's passed in the initial
-  # BindRequest that goes to the server. In some protocols, it may be empty.
-  #
-  # Challenge-response is a Ruby proc that takes a single parameter and
-  # returns an object that will typically be a string. The
-  # challenge-response block is called when the server returns a
-  # BindResponse with a result code of 14 (saslBindInProgress). The
-  # challenge-response block receives a parameter containing the data
-  # returned by the server in the saslServerCreds field of the LDAP
-  # BindResponse packet. The challenge-response block may be called multiple
-  # times during the course of a SASL authentication, and each time it must
-  # return a value that will be passed back to the server as the credential
-  # data in the next BindRequest packet.
-  #++
-  def bind_sasl(auth)
-    mech, cred, chall = auth[:mechanism], auth[:initial_credential],
-      auth[:challenge_response]
-    raise Net::LDAP::BindingInformationInvalidError, "Invalid binding information" unless (mech && cred && chall)
-
-    message_id = next_msgid
-
-    n = 0
-    loop {
-      sasl = [mech.to_ber, cred.to_ber].to_ber_contextspecific(3)
-      request = [
-        LdapVersion.to_ber, "".to_ber, sasl
-      ].to_ber_appsequence(Net::LDAP::PDU::BindRequest)
-
-      write(request, nil, message_id)
-      pdu = queued_read(message_id)
-
-      if !pdu || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::BindResult
-        raise Net::LDAP::NoBindResultError, "no bind result"
-      end
-
-      return pdu unless pdu.result_code == Net::LDAP::ResultCodeSaslBindInProgress
-      raise Net::LDAP::SASLChallengeOverflowError, "sasl-challenge overflow" if ((n += 1) > MaxSaslChallenges)
-
-      cred = chall.call(pdu.result_server_sasl_creds)
-    }
-
-    raise Net::LDAP::SASLChallengeOverflowError, "why are we here?"
-  end
-  private :bind_sasl
-
-  #--
-  # PROVISIONAL, only for testing SASL implementations. DON'T USE THIS YET.
-  # Uses Kohei Kajimoto's Ruby/NTLM. We have to find a clean way to
-  # integrate it without introducing an external dependency.
-  #
-  # This authentication method is accessed by calling #bind with a :method
-  # parameter of :gss_spnego. It requires :username and :password
-  # attributes, just like the :simple authentication method. It performs a
-  # GSS-SPNEGO authentication with the server, which is presumed to be a
-  # Microsoft Active Directory.
-  #++
-  def bind_gss_spnego(auth)
-    require 'ntlm'
-
-    user, psw = [auth[:username] || auth[:dn], auth[:password]]
-    raise Net::LDAP::BindingInformationInvalidError, "Invalid binding information" unless (user && psw)
-
-    nego = proc { |challenge|
-      t2_msg = NTLM::Message.parse(challenge)
-      t3_msg = t2_msg.response({ :user => user, :password => psw },
-                               { :ntlmv2 => true })
-      t3_msg.serialize
-    }
-
-    bind_sasl(:method => :sasl, :mechanism => "GSS-SPNEGO",
-              :initial_credential => NTLM::Message::Type1.new.serialize,
-              :challenge_response => nego)
-  end
-  private :bind_gss_spnego
-
-
   #--
   # Allow the caller to specify a sort control
   #
diff --git a/test/test_auth_adapter.rb b/test/test_auth_adapter.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7cec57bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_auth_adapter.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+class TestAuthAdapter < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  def test_undefined_auth_adapter
+    flexmock(TCPSocket).should_receive(:new).ordered.with('ldap.example.com', 379).once.and_return(nil)
+    conn = Net::LDAP::Connection.new(host: 'ldap.example.com', port: 379)
+    assert_raise Net::LDAP::AuthMethodUnsupportedError, "Unsupported auth method (foo)" do
+      conn.bind(method: :foo)
+    end
+  end
+end