diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/dont-connect-ldap-on-startup.md b/changelog/unreleased/dont-connect-ldap-on-startup.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..52dcefa7fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/dont-connect-ldap-on-startup.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Bugfix: Don't connect to ldap on startup
+
+This leads to misleading error messages. Instead we connect on first request
+
+https://github.com/owncloud/ocis/pull/6565
diff --git a/services/graph/pkg/identity/ldap/reconnect.go b/services/graph/pkg/identity/ldap/reconnect.go
index 0a4e924743..31525eea1e 100644
--- a/services/graph/pkg/identity/ldap/reconnect.go
+++ b/services/graph/pkg/identity/ldap/reconnect.go
@@ -205,10 +205,10 @@ func (c ConnWithReconnect) GetConnection() (*ldap.Conn, error) {
 }
 
 func (c ConnWithReconnect) ldapAutoConnect(config Config) {
-	l, err := c.ldapConnect(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		c.logger.Error().Err(err).Msg("autoconnect could not get ldap Connection")
-	}
+	var (
+		l   *ldap.Conn
+		err error
+	)
 
 	for {
 		select {