diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb b/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
index be0db04b..83887e5e 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/connection.rb
@@ -425,6 +425,7 @@ def search(args = nil)
         # this breaks when calling to_ber. (Can't force binary data to UTF-8)
         # we have to disable paging (even though server supports it) to get around this...
 
+        user_controls = args.fetch(:controls, [])
         controls = []
         controls <<
           [
@@ -434,7 +435,12 @@ def search(args = nil)
             rfc2696_cookie.map(&:to_ber).to_ber_sequence.to_s.to_ber,
           ].to_ber_sequence if paged
         controls << ber_sort if ber_sort
-        controls = controls.empty? ? nil : controls.to_ber_contextspecific(0)
+        if controls.empty? && user_controls.empty?
+          controls = nil
+        else
+          controls += user_controls
+          controls = controls.to_ber_contextspecific(0)
+        end
 
         write(request, controls, message_id)
 
diff --git a/test/test_ldap_connection.rb b/test/test_ldap_connection.rb
index dcb4ce72..74de115c 100644
--- a/test/test_ldap_connection.rb
+++ b/test/test_ldap_connection.rb
@@ -501,4 +501,43 @@ def test_search_net_ldap_connection_event
     # ensure no unread
     assert unread.empty?, "should not have any leftover unread messages"
   end
+
+  def test_search_with_controls
+    # search data
+    search_data_ber = Net::BER::BerIdentifiedArray.new([1, [
+      "uid=user1,ou=People,dc=rubyldap,dc=com",
+      [["uid", ["user1"]]],
+    ]])
+    search_data_ber.ber_identifier = Net::LDAP::PDU::SearchReturnedData
+    search_data = [1, search_data_ber]
+    # search result (end of results)
+    search_result_ber = Net::BER::BerIdentifiedArray.new([Net::LDAP::ResultCodeSuccess, "", ""])
+    search_result_ber.ber_identifier = Net::LDAP::PDU::SearchResult
+    search_result = [1, search_result_ber]
+    @tcp_socket.should_receive(:read_ber).and_return(search_data)
+               .and_return(search_result)
+
+    events = @service.subscribe "search.net_ldap_connection"
+    unread = @service.subscribe "search_messages_unread.net_ldap_connection"
+
+    all_but_sacl_flag = 0x1 | 0x2 | 0x4 # OWNER_SECURITY_INFORMATION | GROUP_SECURITY_INFORMATION | DACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION
+    control_values = [all_but_sacl_flag].map(&:to_ber).to_ber_sequence.to_s.to_ber
+    controls = []
+    # LDAP_SERVER_SD_FLAGS constant definition, taken from https://ldapwiki.com/wiki/LDAP_SERVER_SD_FLAGS_OID
+    ldap_server_sd_flags = '1.2.840.113556.1.4.801'.freeze
+    controls << [ldap_server_sd_flags.to_ber, true.to_ber, control_values].to_ber_sequence
+
+    result = @connection.search(filter: "(uid=user1)", base: "ou=People,dc=rubyldap,dc=com", controls: controls)
+    assert result.success?, "should be success"
+
+    # a search event
+    payload, result = events.pop
+    assert payload.key?(:result)
+    assert payload.key?(:filter)
+    assert_equal "(uid=user1)", payload[:filter].to_s
+    assert result
+
+    # ensure no unread
+    assert unread.empty?, "should not have any leftover unread messages"
+  end
 end