* so that referral chasing is attempted using the right
                 * identity */
                LDAP_BACK_CONN_ISBOUND_SET( lc );
-               ber_bvreplace( &lc->lc_bound_ndn, binddn );
+               if ( !BER_BVISNULL( binddn ) ) {
+                       ber_bvreplace( &lc->lc_bound_ndn, binddn );
+               }
 
                if ( !BER_BVISNULL( &lc->lc_cred ) ) {
                        memset( lc->lc_cred.bv_val, 0,
                }
 
                if ( LDAP_BACK_SAVECRED( li ) ) {
-                       ber_bvreplace( &lc->lc_cred, bindcred );
-                       ldap_set_rebind_proc( lc->lc_ld, li->li_rebind_f, lc );
+                       if ( !BER_BVISNULL( bindcred ) ) {
+                               ber_bvreplace( &lc->lc_cred, bindcred );
+                               ldap_set_rebind_proc( lc->lc_ld, li->li_rebind_f, lc );
+                       }
 
                } else {
                        lc->lc_cred.bv_len = 0;
 
                        return 1;
                }
        }
+
+       if ( si->si_bc.sb_method == LDAP_AUTH_SIMPLE ) {
+               if ( BER_BVISNULL( &si->si_bc.sb_binddn )
+                       || BER_BVISNULL( &si->si_bc.sb_cred ) )
+               {
+                       snprintf( c->cr_msg, sizeof( c->cr_msg ),
+                               "\"idassert-bind <args>\": "
+                               "SIMPLE needs \"binddn\" and \"credentials\"" );
+                       Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ANY, "%s: %s.\n", c->log, c->cr_msg, 0 );
+                       return 1;
+               }
+       }
+
        bindconf_tls_defaults( &si->si_bc );
 
        return 0;