diff --git a/libraries/libldap/controls.c b/libraries/libldap/controls.c
index aa38040c3e..042dfe97a7 100644
--- a/libraries/libldap/controls.c
+++ b/libraries/libldap/controls.c
@@ -427,7 +427,6 @@ ldap_create_control(
 	LDAPControl *ctrl;
 
 	assert( requestOID != NULL );
-	assert( ber != NULL );
 	assert( ctrlp != NULL );
 
 	ctrl = (LDAPControl *) LDAP_MALLOC( sizeof(LDAPControl) );
@@ -435,7 +434,8 @@ ldap_create_control(
 		return LDAP_NO_MEMORY;
 	}
 
-	if ( ber_flatten2( ber, &ctrl->ldctl_value, 1 ) == -1 ) {
+    ctrl->ldctl_value = NULL;
+	if ( ber && ( ber_flatten2( ber, &ctrl->ldctl_value, 1 ) == -1 )) {
 		LDAP_FREE( ctrl );
 		return LDAP_NO_MEMORY;
 	}
diff --git a/libraries/libldap/ppolicy.c b/libraries/libldap/ppolicy.c
index 16193f6400..b82208fe76 100644
--- a/libraries/libldap/ppolicy.c
+++ b/libraries/libldap/ppolicy.c
@@ -61,21 +61,13 @@ int
 ldap_create_passwordpolicy_control( LDAP *ld,
                                     LDAPControl **ctrlp )
 {
-	BerElement *ber;
-
 	assert( ld != NULL );
 	assert( LDAP_VALID( ld ) );
 	assert( ctrlp != NULL );
 
-	if ((ber = ldap_alloc_ber_with_options(ld)) == NULL) {
-		ld->ld_errno = LDAP_NO_MEMORY;
-		return(LDAP_NO_MEMORY);
-	}
-
 	ld->ld_errno = ldap_create_control( LDAP_CONTROL_PASSWORDPOLICYREQUEST,
-		ber, 0, ctrlp);
+		NULL, 0, ctrlp);
 
-	ber_free(ber, 1);
 	return(ld->ld_errno);
 }