diff --git a/ldapcherry/backend/backendLdap.py b/ldapcherry/backend/backendLdap.py
index 2874fcc..b9a8579 100644
--- a/ldapcherry/backend/backendLdap.py
+++ b/ldapcherry/backend/backendLdap.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class Backend(ldapcherry.backend.Backend):
     def del_user(self, username):
         pass
 
-    def search(self, searchstring):
+    def _search(self, searchfilter, attrs):
         ldap_client = self._connect()
         try:
             ldap_client.simple_bind_s(self.binddn, self.bindpassword)
@@ -75,69 +75,57 @@ class Backend(ldapcherry.backend.Backend):
                     logging.ERROR,
                     "Configuration error, wrong credentials, unable to connect to ldap with '" + self.binddn + "'",
                 )
-            #raise cherrypy.HTTPError("500", "Configuration Error, contact administrator")
+            ldap_client.unbind_s()
             raise e
         except ldap.SERVER_DOWN as e:
             self._logger(
                     logging.ERROR,
                     "Unable to contact ldap server '" + self.uri + "', check 'auth.ldap.uri' and ssl/tls configuration",
                 )
+            ldap_client.unbind_s()
             raise e 
 
-        user_filter = self.search_filter_tmpl % {
-            'searchstring': searchstring
-        }
-        print user_filter
         try:
             r = ldap_client.search_s(self.userdn,
                     ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE,
-                    user_filter,
-                    attrlist=None
+                    searchfilter,
+                    attrlist=attrs
             )
         except ldap.FILTER_ERROR as e:
-            #self._logger(
-            #        logging.ERROR,
-            #        "Bad search filter, check '" + self.backend_name + ".search_filter_tmpl'",
-            #    )
+            self._logger(
+                    logging.ERROR,
+                    "Bad search filter, check '" + self.backend_name + ".*_filter_tmpl' params",
+                )
+            ldap_client.unbind_s()
             raise e
+
+        ldap_client.unbind_s()
         return r
 
+
+    def search(self, searchstring):
+
+        searchfilter = self.search_filter_tmpl % {
+            'searchstring': searchstring
+        }
+
+        return self._search(searchfilter, None)
+
     def get_user(self, username, attrs=True):
         if attrs:
             a = self.attrlist
         else:
             a = None
-        ldap_client = self._connect()
-        try:
-            ldap_client.simple_bind_s(self.binddn, self.bindpassword)
-        except ldap.INVALID_CREDENTIALS as e:
-            self._logger(
-                    logging.ERROR,
-                    "Configuration error, wrong credentials, unable to connect to ldap with '" + self.binddn + "'",
-                )
-            #raise cherrypy.HTTPError("500", "Configuration Error, contact administrator")
-            raise e
-        except ldap.SERVER_DOWN as e:
-            self._logger(
-                    logging.ERROR,
-                    "Unable to contact ldap server '" + self.uri + "', check 'auth.ldap.uri' and ssl/tls configuration",
-                )
-            raise e 
 
         user_filter = self.user_filter_tmpl % {
             'username': username
         }
 
-        r = ldap_client.search_s(self.userdn,
-                ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE,
-                user_filter,
-                attrlist=a
-            )
+        r = self._search(user_filter, a)
+
         if len(r) == 0:
-            ldap_client.unbind_s()
             return None
 
-        ldap_client.unbind_s()
         if attrs:
             dn_entry = r[0]
         else: