diff --git a/lib/net/ldap.rb b/lib/net/ldap.rb
index d61f3dc4..75b463fb 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ class LDAP
 require 'net/ldap/instrumentation'
 require 'net/ldap/connection'
 require 'net/ldap/version'
+require 'net/ldap/error'
 
 # == Quick-start for the Impatient
 # === Quick Example of a user-authentication against an LDAP directory:
@@ -246,8 +247,6 @@ class LDAP
 class Net::LDAP
   include Net::LDAP::Instrumentation
 
-  class LdapError < StandardError; end
-
   SearchScope_BaseObject = 0
   SearchScope_SingleLevel = 1
   SearchScope_WholeSubtree = 2
@@ -666,7 +665,7 @@ def open
     # anything with the bind results. We then pass self to the caller's
     # block, where he will execute his LDAP operations. Of course they will
     # all generate auth failures if the bind was unsuccessful.
-    raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Open already in progress" if @open_connection
+    raise Net::LDAP::AlreadyOpenedError, "Open already in progress" if @open_connection
 
     instrument "open.net_ldap" do |payload|
       begin
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb b/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
index 7ed0bdb5..5e735f53 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ def initialize(server)
     begin
       @conn = server[:socket] || TCPSocket.new(server[:host], server[:port])
     rescue SocketError
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "No such address or other socket error."
+      raise Net::LDAP::Error, "No such address or other socket error."
     rescue Errno::ECONNREFUSED
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Server #{server[:host]} refused connection on port #{server[:port]}."
+      raise Net::LDAP::Error, "Server #{server[:host]} refused connection on port #{server[:port]}."
     rescue Errno::EHOSTUNREACH => error
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Host #{server[:host]} was unreachable (#{error.message})"
+      raise Net::LDAP::Error, "Host #{server[:host]} was unreachable (#{error.message})"
     rescue Errno::ETIMEDOUT
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Connection to #{server[:host]} timed out."
+      raise Net::LDAP::Error, "Connection to #{server[:host]} timed out."
     end
 
     if server[:encryption]
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def close
   end
 
   def self.wrap_with_ssl(io, tls_options = {})
-    raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "OpenSSL is unavailable" unless Net::LDAP::HasOpenSSL
+    raise Net::LDAP::NoOpenSSLError, "OpenSSL is unavailable" unless Net::LDAP::HasOpenSSL
 
     ctx = OpenSSL::SSL::SSLContext.new
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def self.wrap_with_ssl(io, tls_options = {})
   # successfully-opened @conn instance variable, which is a TCP connection.
   # Depending on the received arguments, we establish SSL, potentially
   # replacing the value of @conn accordingly. Don't generate any errors here
-  # if no encryption is requested. DO raise Net::LDAP::LdapError objects if encryption
+  # if no encryption is requested. DO raise Net::LDAP::Error objects if encryption
   # is requested and we have trouble setting it up. That includes if OpenSSL
   # is not set up on the machine. (Question: how does the Ruby OpenSSL
   # wrapper react in that case?) DO NOT filter exceptions raised by the
@@ -105,16 +105,16 @@ def setup_encryption(args)
       pdu = queued_read(message_id)
 
       if pdu.nil? || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::ExtendedResponse
-        raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "no start_tls result"
+        raise Net::LDAP::NoStartTLSResultError, "no start_tls result"
       end
 
       if pdu.result_code.zero?
         @conn = self.class.wrap_with_ssl(@conn, args[:tls_options])
       else
-        raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "start_tls failed: #{pdu.result_code}"
+        raise Net::LDAP::StartTlSError, "start_tls failed: #{pdu.result_code}"
       end
     else
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "unsupported encryption method #{args[:method]}"
+      raise Net::LDAP::EncMethodUnsupportedError, "unsupported encryption method #{args[:method]}"
     end
   end
 
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ def bind(auth)
       elsif meth == :gss_spnego
         bind_gss_spnego(auth)
       else
-        raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Unsupported auth method (#{meth})"
+        raise Net::LDAP::AuthMethodUnsupportedError, "Unsupported auth method (#{meth})"
       end
     end
   end
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ def bind_simple(auth)
                   ["", ""]
                 end
 
-    raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Invalid binding information" unless (user && psw)
+    raise Net::LDAP::BindingInformationInvalidError, "Invalid binding information" unless (user && psw)
 
     message_id = next_msgid
     request    = [
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ def bind_simple(auth)
     pdu = queued_read(message_id)
 
     if !pdu || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::BindResult
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "no bind result"
+      raise Net::LDAP::NoBindResultError, "no bind result"
     end
 
     pdu
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ def bind_simple(auth)
   def bind_sasl(auth)
     mech, cred, chall = auth[:mechanism], auth[:initial_credential],
       auth[:challenge_response]
-    raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Invalid binding information" unless (mech && cred && chall)
+    raise Net::LDAP::BindingInformationInvalidError, "Invalid binding information" unless (mech && cred && chall)
 
     message_id = next_msgid
 
@@ -298,16 +298,16 @@ def bind_sasl(auth)
       pdu = queued_read(message_id)
 
       if !pdu || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::BindResult
-        raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "no bind result"
+        raise Net::LDAP::NoBindResultError, "no bind result"
       end
 
       return pdu unless pdu.result_code == Net::LDAP::ResultCodeSaslBindInProgress
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "sasl-challenge overflow" if ((n += 1) > MaxSaslChallenges)
+      raise Net::LDAP::SASLChallengeOverflowError, "sasl-challenge overflow" if ((n += 1) > MaxSaslChallenges)
 
       cred = chall.call(pdu.result_server_sasl_creds)
     }
 
-    raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "why are we here?"
+    raise Net::LDAP::SASLChallengeOverflowError, "why are we here?"
   end
   private :bind_sasl
 
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ def bind_gss_spnego(auth)
     require 'ntlm'
 
     user, psw = [auth[:username] || auth[:dn], auth[:password]]
-    raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Invalid binding information" unless (user && psw)
+    raise Net::LDAP::BindingInformationInvalidError, "Invalid binding information" unless (user && psw)
 
     nego = proc { |challenge|
       t2_msg = NTLM::Message.parse(challenge)
@@ -412,10 +412,10 @@ def search(args = nil)
     sort   = args.fetch(:sort_controls, false)
 
     # arg validation
-    raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "search base is required" unless base
-    raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "invalid search-size" unless size >= 0
-    raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "invalid search scope" unless Net::LDAP::SearchScopes.include?(scope)
-    raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "invalid alias dereferencing value" unless Net::LDAP::DerefAliasesArray.include?(deref)
+    raise ArgumentError, "search base is required" unless base
+    raise ArgumentError, "invalid search-size" unless size >= 0
+    raise ArgumentError, "invalid search scope" unless Net::LDAP::SearchScopes.include?(scope)
+    raise ArgumentError, "invalid alias dereferencing value" unless Net::LDAP::DerefAliasesArray.include?(deref)
 
     # arg transforms
     filter = Net::LDAP::Filter.construct(filter) if filter.is_a?(String)
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ def search(args = nil)
             end
             break
           else
-            raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "invalid response-type in search: #{pdu.app_tag}"
+            raise Net::LDAP::ResponseTypeInvalidError, "invalid response-type in search: #{pdu.app_tag}"
           end
         end
 
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ def modify(args)
     pdu = queued_read(message_id)
 
     if !pdu || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::ModifyResponse
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "response missing or invalid"
+      raise Net::LDAP::ResponseMissingOrInvalidError, "response missing or invalid"
     end
 
     pdu
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ def modify(args)
   # to the error message and the matched-DN returned by the server.
   #++
   def add(args)
-    add_dn = args[:dn] or raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Unable to add empty DN"
+    add_dn = args[:dn] or raise Net::LDAP::EmptyDNError, "Unable to add empty DN"
     add_attrs = []
     a = args[:attributes] and a.each { |k, v|
       add_attrs << [ k.to_s.to_ber, Array(v).map { |m| m.to_ber}.to_ber_set ].to_ber_sequence
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@ def add(args)
     pdu = queued_read(message_id)
 
     if !pdu || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::AddResponse
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "response missing or invalid"
+      raise Net::LDAP::ResponseMissingError, "response missing or invalid"
     end
 
     pdu
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ def rename(args)
     pdu = queued_read(message_id)
 
     if !pdu || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::ModifyRDNResponse
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError.new "response missing or invalid"
+      raise Net::LDAP::ResponseMissingOrInvalidError.new "response missing or invalid"
     end
 
     pdu
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ def delete(args)
     pdu = queued_read(message_id)
 
     if !pdu || pdu.app_tag != Net::LDAP::PDU::DeleteResponse
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "response missing or invalid"
+      raise Net::LDAP::ResponseMissingOrInvalidError, "response missing or invalid"
     end
 
     pdu
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/entry.rb b/lib/net/ldap/entry.rb
index 06943a93..c2615268 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap/entry.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/entry.rb
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def from_single_ldif_string(ldif)
 
       return nil if ds.empty?
 
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Too many LDIF entries" unless ds.size == 1
+      raise Net::LDAP::EntryOverflowError, "Too many LDIF entries" unless ds.size == 1
 
       entry = ds.to_entries.first
 
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/error.rb b/lib/net/ldap/error.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c9a25f90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/error.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+class Net::LDAP
+  class LdapError < StandardError
+    def message
+      "Deprecation warning: Net::LDAP::LdapError is no longer used. Use Net::LDAP::Error or rescue one of it's subclasses. \n" + super
+    end
+  end
+
+  class Error < StandardError; end
+
+  class AlreadyOpenedError < Error; end
+  class SocketError < Error; end
+  class ConnectionRefusedError < Error; end
+  class NoOpenSSLError < Error; end
+  class NoStartTLSResultError < Error; end
+  class NoSearchBaseError < Error; end
+  class StartTLSError < Error; end
+  class EncryptionUnsupportedError < Error; end
+  class EncMethodUnsupportedError < Error; end
+  class AuthMethodUnsupportedError < Error; end
+  class BindingInformationInvalidError < Error; end
+  class NoBindResultError < Error; end
+  class SASLChallengeOverflowError < Error; end
+  class SearchSizeInvalidError < Error; end
+  class SearchScopeInvalidError < Error; end
+  class ResponseTypeInvalidError < Error; end
+  class ResponseMissingOrInvalidError < Error; end
+  class EmptyDNError < Error; end
+  class HashTypeUnsupportedError < Error; end
+  class OperatorError < Error; end
+  class SubstringFilterError < Error; end
+  class SearchFilterError < Error; end
+  class BERInvalidError < Error; end
+  class SearchFilterTypeUnknownError < Error; end
+  class BadAttributeError < Error; end
+  class FilterTypeUnknownError < Error; end
+  class FilterSyntaxInvalidError < Error; end
+  class EntryOverflowError < Error; end
+end
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/filter.rb b/lib/net/ldap/filter.rb
index 4f5da3e5..0ab847b8 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap/filter.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/filter.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class Net::LDAP::Filter
 
   def initialize(op, left, right) #:nodoc:
     unless FilterTypes.include?(op)
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Invalid or unsupported operator #{op.inspect} in LDAP Filter."
+      raise Net::LDAP::OperatorError, "Invalid or unsupported operator #{op.inspect} in LDAP Filter."
     end
     @op = op
     @left = left
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ def parse_ber(ber)
         ber.last.each { |b|
           case b.ber_identifier
           when 0x80 # context-specific primitive 0, SubstringFilter "initial"
-            raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Unrecognized substring filter; bad initial value." if str.length > 0
+            raise Net::LDAP::SubstringFilterError, "Unrecognized substring filter; bad initial value." if str.length > 0
             str += escape(b)
           when 0x81 # context-specific primitive 0, SubstringFilter "any"
             str += "*#{escape(b)}"
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ def parse_ber(ber)
         # call to_s to get rid of the BER-identifiedness of the incoming string.
         present?(ber.to_s)
       when 0xa9 # context-specific constructed 9, "extensible comparison"
-        raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Invalid extensible search filter, should be at least two elements" if ber.size<2
+        raise Net::LDAP::SearchFilterError, "Invalid extensible search filter, should be at least two elements" if ber.size < 2
 
         # Reassembles the extensible filter parts
         # (["sn", "2.4.6.8.10", "Barbara Jones", '1'])
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ def parse_ber(ber)
 
         ex(attribute, value)
       else
-        raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Invalid BER tag-value (#{ber.ber_identifier}) in search filter."
+        raise Net::LDAP::BERInvalidError, "Invalid BER tag-value (#{ber.ber_identifier}) in search filter."
       end
     end
 
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ def parse_ldap_filter(obj)
       when 0xa3 # equalityMatch. context-specific constructed 3.
         eq(obj[0], obj[1])
       else
-        raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Unknown LDAP search-filter type: #{obj.ber_identifier}"
+        raise Net::LDAP::SearchFilterTypeUnknownError, "Unknown LDAP search-filter type: #{obj.ber_identifier}"
       end
     end
   end
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ def to_ber
       seq = []
 
       unless @left =~ /^([-;\w]*)(:dn)?(:(\w+|[.\w]+))?$/
-        raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Bad attribute #{@left}"
+        raise Net::LDAP::BadAttributeError, "Bad attribute #{@left}"
       end
       type, dn, rule = $1, $2, $4
 
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ def match(entry)
         l = entry[@left] and l = Array(l) and l.index(@right)
       end
     else
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Unknown filter type in match: #{@op}"
+      raise Net::LDAP::FilterTypeUnknownError, "Unknown filter type in match: #{@op}"
     end
   end
 
@@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ def parse(ldap_filter_string)
     def initialize(str)
       require 'strscan' # Don't load strscan until we need it.
       @filter = parse(StringScanner.new(str))
-      raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Invalid filter syntax." unless @filter
+      raise Net::LDAP::FilterSyntaxInvalidError, "Invalid filter syntax." unless @filter
     end
 
     ##
diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/password.rb b/lib/net/ldap/password.rb
index 47ab03f4..28406f03 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap/password.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/password.rb
@@ -23,14 +23,14 @@ class << self
     def generate(type, str)
       case type
       when :md5
-        attribute_value = '{MD5}' + Base64.encode64(Digest::MD5.digest(str)).chomp!
+         attribute_value = '{MD5}' + Base64.encode64(Digest::MD5.digest(str)).chomp!
       when :sha
-        attribute_value = '{SHA}' + Base64.encode64(Digest::SHA1.digest(str)).chomp!
+         attribute_value = '{SHA}' + Base64.encode64(Digest::SHA1.digest(str)).chomp!
       when :ssha
-        salt = SecureRandom.random_bytes(16)
-        attribute_value = '{SSHA}' + Base64.encode64(Digest::SHA1.digest(str + salt) + salt).chomp!
+         salt = SecureRandom.random_bytes(16)
+         attribute_value = '{SSHA}' + Base64.encode64(Digest::SHA1.digest(str + salt) + salt).chomp!
       else
-        raise Net::LDAP::LdapError, "Unsupported password-hash type (#{type})"
+         raise Net::LDAP::HashTypeUnsupportedError, "Unsupported password-hash type (#{type})"
       end
       return attribute_value
     end
diff --git a/test/test_filter.rb b/test/test_filter.rb
index 139612a1..2bcccd92 100644
--- a/test/test_filter.rb
+++ b/test/test_filter.rb
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ def test_bug_7534_rfc2254
   end
 
   def test_invalid_filter_string
-    assert_raises(Net::LDAP::LdapError) { Filter.from_rfc2254("") }
+    assert_raises(Net::LDAP::FilterSyntaxInvalidError) { Filter.from_rfc2254("") }
   end
 
   def test_invalid_filter
-    assert_raises(Net::LDAP::LdapError) {
+    assert_raises(Net::LDAP::OperatorError) {
       # This test exists to prove that our constructor blocks unknown filter
       # types. All filters must be constructed using helpers.
       Filter.__send__(:new, :xx, nil, nil)
diff --git a/test/test_ldap_connection.rb b/test/test_ldap_connection.rb
index 424f6bb3..96b542ac 100644
--- a/test/test_ldap_connection.rb
+++ b/test/test_ldap_connection.rb
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@
 
 class TestLDAPConnection < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def test_unresponsive_host
-    assert_raise Net::LDAP::LdapError do
+    assert_raise Net::LDAP::Error do
       Net::LDAP::Connection.new(:host => 'test.mocked.com', :port => 636)
     end
   end
 
   def test_blocked_port
     flexmock(TCPSocket).should_receive(:new).and_raise(SocketError)
-    assert_raise Net::LDAP::LdapError do
+    assert_raise Net::LDAP::Error do
       Net::LDAP::Connection.new(:host => 'test.mocked.com', :port => 636)
     end
   end