diff --git a/modules/ldap/util_ldap.c b/modules/ldap/util_ldap.c
index 8a680c1195..4d252bb1d7 100644
--- a/modules/ldap/util_ldap.c
+++ b/modules/ldap/util_ldap.c
@@ -247,6 +247,10 @@ static int uldap_connection_open(request_rec *r,
     int failures = 0;
     int version  = LDAP_VERSION3;
     apr_ldap_err_t *result = NULL;
+    struct timeval timeOut = {10,0};    /* 10 second connection timeout */
+    util_ldap_state_t *st = 
+        (util_ldap_state_t *)ap_get_module_config(r->server->module_config,
+        &ldap_module);
 
     /* sanity check for NULL */
     if (!ldc) {
@@ -326,6 +330,22 @@ static int uldap_connection_open(request_rec *r,
         /* always default to LDAP V3 */
         ldap_set_option(ldc->ldap, LDAP_OPT_PROTOCOL_VERSION, &version);
 
+#ifdef LDAP_OPT_NETWORK_TIMEOUT
+        if (st->connectionTimeout > 0) {
+            timeOut.tv_sec = st->connectionTimeout;
+        }
+    
+        if (st->connectionTimeout >= 0) {
+            rc = apr_ldap_set_option(ldc->pool, ldc->ldap, LDAP_OPT_NETWORK_TIMEOUT,
+                                     (void *)&timeOut, &(result));
+            if (APR_SUCCESS != rc) {
+                ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, 0, r->server,
+                                 "LDAP: Could not set the connection timeout");
+            }
+        }
+#endif
+
+    
     }
 
 
@@ -1773,7 +1793,6 @@ static int util_ldap_post_config(apr_pool_t *p, apr_pool_t *plog,
     const char *userdata_key = "util_ldap_init";
     apr_ldap_err_t *result_err = NULL;
     int rc;
-    struct timeval timeOut = {10,0};    /* 10 second connection timeout */
 
     /* util_ldap_post_config() will be called twice. Don't bother
      * going through all of the initialization on the first call
@@ -1907,22 +1926,6 @@ static int util_ldap_post_config(apr_pool_t *p, apr_pool_t *plog,
                          "LDAP: SSL support unavailable" );
     }
 
-#ifdef LDAP_OPT_NETWORK_TIMEOUT
-    if (st->connectionTimeout > 0) {
-        timeOut.tv_sec = st->connectionTimeout;
-    }
-
-    if (st->connectionTimeout >= 0) {
-        rc = apr_ldap_set_option(p, NULL, LDAP_OPT_NETWORK_TIMEOUT,
-                                 (void *)&timeOut, &(result_err));
-        if (APR_SUCCESS != rc) {
-            ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, 0, s,
-                             "LDAP: Could not set the connection timeout");
-        }
-    }
-#endif
-
-    
     return(OK);
 }