diff --git a/proxmox-ldap/src/lib.rs b/proxmox-ldap/src/lib.rs
index f9862e2a..2df7409b 100644
--- a/proxmox-ldap/src/lib.rs
+++ b/proxmox-ldap/src/lib.rs
@@ -193,6 +193,28 @@ impl Connection {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Retrieves an attribute from the root DSE according to RFC 4512, Section 5.1
+    /// https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4512#section-5.1
+    pub async fn retrieve_root_dse_attr(&self, attr: &str) -> Result<Vec<String>, Error> {
+        let mut ldap = self.create_connection().await?;
+
+        let (entries, _res) = ldap
+            .search("", Scope::Base, "(objectClass=*)", &[attr])
+            .await?
+            .success()?;
+
+        if entries.len() > 1 {
+            bail!("found multiple root DSEs with attribute '{attr}'");
+        }
+
+        entries
+            .into_iter()
+            .next()
+            .map(SearchEntry::construct)
+            .and_then(|e| e.attrs.get(attr).cloned())
+            .ok_or_else(|| format_err!("failed to retrieve root DSE attribute '{attr}'"))
+    }
+
     /// Retrive port from LDAP configuration, otherwise use the correct default
     fn port_from_config(&self) -> u16 {
         self.config.port.unwrap_or_else(|| {
diff --git a/proxmox-ldap/tests/assets/glauth.cfg b/proxmox-ldap/tests/assets/glauth.cfg
index 72551692..8abbdc64 100644
--- a/proxmox-ldap/tests/assets/glauth.cfg
+++ b/proxmox-ldap/tests/assets/glauth.cfg
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ debug = true
   baseDN = "dc=example,dc=com"
   nameformat = "cn"
   groupformat = "ou"
+  anonymousdse = true
 
 # to create a passSHA256:   echo -n "mysecret" | openssl dgst -sha256
 
diff --git a/proxmox-ldap/tests/glauth.rs b/proxmox-ldap/tests/glauth.rs
index 88875d20..74720c10 100644
--- a/proxmox-ldap/tests/glauth.rs
+++ b/proxmox-ldap/tests/glauth.rs
@@ -191,3 +191,19 @@ fn test_check_connection() -> Result<(), Error> {
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[test]
+#[ignore]
+fn test_retrieve_root_dse_attr() -> Result<(), Error> {
+    let _glauth = GlauthServer::new("tests/assets/glauth.cfg")?;
+
+    let connection = Connection::new(default_config());
+
+    let values = proxmox_async::runtime::block_on(
+        connection.retrieve_root_dse_attr("defaultNamingContext"),
+    )?;
+
+    assert_eq!(values, vec!["dc=example,dc=com"]);
+
+    Ok(())
+}