diff --git a/salt/pillar/pillar_ldap.py b/salt/pillar/pillar_ldap.py
index 6dbbaa759112..b2321ebc1b44 100644
--- a/salt/pillar/pillar_ldap.py
+++ b/salt/pillar/pillar_ldap.py
@@ -163,15 +163,17 @@ def _render_template(config_file):
     return template.render(__grains__)
 
 
-def _config(name, conf):
+def _config(name, conf, default=None):
     '''
-    Return a value for 'name' from  the config file options.
+    Return a value for 'name' from the config file options. If the 'name' is
+    not in the config, the 'default' value is returned. This method converts
+    unicode values to str type under python 2.
     '''
     try:
-        value = salt.utils.data.decode(conf[name], to_str=True)
+        value = conf[name]
     except KeyError:
-        value = None
-    return value
+        value = default
+    return salt.utils.data.decode(value, to_str=True)
 
 
 def _result_to_dict(data, result, conf, source):
@@ -285,7 +287,7 @@ def _do_search(conf):
     scope = _config('scope', conf)
     _lists = _config('lists', conf) or []
     _attrs = _config('attrs', conf) or []
-    _dict_key_attr = _config('dict_key_attr', conf) or 'dn'
+    _dict_key_attr = _config('dict_key_attr', conf, 'dn')
     attrs = _lists + _attrs + [_dict_key_attr]
     if not attrs:
         attrs = None
diff --git a/tests/unit/pillar/test_pillar_ldap.py b/tests/unit/pillar/test_pillar_ldap.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..53ae293dcdf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/pillar/test_pillar_ldap.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+# Import python libs
+from __future__ import absolute_import, print_function, unicode_literals
+
+from tests.support.unit import TestCase
+import salt.utils.stringutils
+
+
+from salt.pillar.pillar_ldap import _config
+
+
+class LdapPillarTestCase(TestCase):
+
+    def test__config_returns_str(self):
+        conf = {'foo': 'bar'}
+        assert _config('foo', conf) == salt.utils.stringutils.to_str('bar')
+
+    def test__conf_defaults_to_none(self):
+        conf = {'foo': 'bar'}
+        assert _config('bang', conf) is None
+
+    def test__conf_returns_str_from_unicode_default(self):
+        conf = {'foo': 'bar'}
+        default = salt.utils.stringutils.to_unicode('bam')
+        assert _config('bang', conf, default) == salt.utils.stringutils.to_str('bam')