diff --git a/lib/net/ldap.rb b/lib/net/ldap.rb
index 87c7eccb..b181d83d 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap.rb
@@ -537,10 +537,6 @@ def authenticate(username, password)
   # additional capabilities are added, more configuration values will be
   # added here.
   #
-  # Currently, the only supported argument is { :method => :simple_tls }.
-  # (Equivalently, you may pass the symbol :simple_tls all by itself,
-  # without enclosing it in a Hash.)
-  #
   # The :simple_tls encryption method encrypts <i>all</i> communications
   # with the LDAP server. It completely establishes SSL/TLS encryption with
   # the LDAP server before any LDAP-protocol data is exchanged. There is no
@@ -563,10 +559,30 @@ def authenticate(username, password)
   # The :start_tls like the :simple_tls encryption method also encrypts all
   # communcations with the LDAP server. With the exception that it operates
   # over the standard TCP port.
+  #
+  # In order to verify certificates and enable other TLS options, the
+  # :tls_options hash can be passed alongside :simple_tls or :start_tls.
+  # This hash contains any options that can be passed to
+  # OpenSSL::SSL::SSLContext#set_params(). The most common options passed
+  # should be OpenSSL::SSL::SSLContext::DEFAULT_PARAMS, or the :ca_file option,
+  # which contains a path to a Certificate Authority file (PEM-encoded).
+  #
+  # Example for a default setup without custom settings:
+  #   {
+  #     :method => :simple_tls,
+  #     :tls_options => OpenSSL::SSL::SSLContext::DEFAULT_PARAMS
+  #   }
+  #
+  # Example for specifying a CA-File and only allowing TLSv1.1 connections:
+  #
+  #   {
+  #     :method => :start_tls,
+  #     :tls_options => { :ca_file => "/etc/cafile.pem", :ssl_version => "TLSv1_1" }
+  #   }
   def encryption(args)
     case args
     when :simple_tls, :start_tls
-      args = { :method => args }
+      args = { :method => args, :tls_options => {} }
     end
     @encryption = args
   end
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb b/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
index 508e37ac..6371f636 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
@@ -41,9 +41,15 @@ def close
     end
   end
 
-  def self.wrap_with_ssl(io)
+  def self.wrap_with_ssl(io, tls_options = {})
     raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "OpenSSL is unavailable" unless Net::LDAP::HasOpenSSL
+
     ctx = OpenSSL::SSL::SSLContext.new
+
+    # By default, we do not verify certificates. For a 1.0 release, this should probably be changed at some point.
+    # See discussion in https://github.com/ruby-ldap/ruby-net-ldap/pull/161
+    ctx.set_params(tls_options) unless tls_options.empty?
+
     conn = OpenSSL::SSL::SSLSocket.new(io, ctx)
     conn.connect
 
@@ -85,7 +91,7 @@ def self.wrap_with_ssl(io)
   def setup_encryption(args)
     case args[:method]
     when :simple_tls
-      @conn = self.class.wrap_with_ssl(@conn)
+      @conn = self.class.wrap_with_ssl(@conn, args[:tls_options])
       # additional branches requiring server validation and peer certs, etc.
       # go here.
     when :start_tls
@@ -102,7 +108,7 @@ def setup_encryption(args)
       end
 
       if pdu.result_code.zero?
-        @conn = self.class.wrap_with_ssl(@conn)
+        @conn = self.class.wrap_with_ssl(@conn, args[:tls_options])
       else
         raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "start_tls failed: #{pdu.result_code}"
       end
diff --git a/test/test_ldap_connection.rb b/test/test_ldap_connection.rb
index 56dfe813..0bffb66a 100644
--- a/test/test_ldap_connection.rb
+++ b/test/test_ldap_connection.rb
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ def test_queued_read_setup_encryption_with_start_tls
       and_return(result2)
     mock.should_receive(:write)
     conn = Net::LDAP::Connection.new(:socket => mock)
-    flexmock(Net::LDAP::Connection).should_receive(:wrap_with_ssl).with(mock).
+    flexmock(Net::LDAP::Connection).should_receive(:wrap_with_ssl).with(mock, nil).
       and_return(mock)
 
     conn.next_msgid # simulates ongoing query