diff --git a/src/main/groovy/gldapo/GldapoDirectory.groovy b/src/main/groovy/gldapo/GldapoDirectory.groovy
index 60a9aec..d1ea044 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/gldapo/GldapoDirectory.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/gldapo/GldapoDirectory.groovy
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import org.springframework.ldap.NamingException
 import javax.naming.directory.ModificationItem
 import javax.naming.directory.Attributes
 import org.springframework.ldap.core.DistinguishedName
+import org.springframework.ldap.pool.factory.PoolingContextSource
+import org.springframework.ldap.pool.validation.DefaultDirContextValidator
 
 class GldapoDirectory implements SearchProvider {
     
@@ -54,6 +56,7 @@ class GldapoDirectory implements SearchProvider {
      * </ul>
      */
     static final CONTEXT_SOURCE_PROPS = ["url", "urls", "base", "userDn", "password"]
+    static final POOLING_SOURCE_PROPS = ["maxActive", "maxIdle", "minIdle", "maxTotal", "timeBetweenEvictionRunsMillis", "minEvictableIdleTimeMillis", "whenExhaustedAction", "testWhileIdle", "testOnReturn"]
     
     /**
      * 
@@ -100,6 +103,23 @@ class GldapoDirectory implements SearchProvider {
             contextSource.baseEnvironmentProperties = config.env
         }
         contextSource.afterPropertiesSet()
+
+        if(config.containsKey("pooling")) {
+          def realSource = contextSource
+          realSource.pooled = false
+          contextSource = new PoolingContextSource()
+          contextSource.contextSource = realSource
+          if (config.pooling.validate) {
+            def validator = new DefaultDirContextValidator()
+            contextSource.dirContextValidator = validator
+            contextSource.testOnBorrow = true
+          }
+          POOLING_SOURCE_PROPS.each {
+            if(config.pooling.containsKey(it)) {
+              contextSource."$it" = config.pooling."$it"
+            }
+          }
+        }
         
         this.template = new LdapTemplate(contextSource: contextSource)
         this.template.afterPropertiesSet()
@@ -114,7 +134,11 @@ class GldapoDirectory implements SearchProvider {
      * Returns the base DN for operations for this directory
      */
     DistinguishedName getBase() {
-        template?.contextSource?.base
+      def contextSource = template?.contextSource
+      if (contextSource?.class == PoolingContextSource.class) {
+        return contextSource?.contextSource?.base
+      }
+      return contextSource?.base
     }
     
     /**