Index: ldap/pom.xml
===================================================================
--- ldap/pom.xml	(revision 389684)
+++ ldap/pom.xml	(working copy)
@@ -83,6 +83,12 @@
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
+      <groupId>commons-io</groupId>
+      <artifactId>commons-io</artifactId>
+      <version>1.2</version>
+    </dependency>
+
+    <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.directory.shared</groupId>
       <artifactId>shared-asn1</artifactId>
       <version>${pom.version}</version>
Index: ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/directory/shared/ldap/ldif/LdifParserImpl.java
===================================================================
--- ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/directory/shared/ldap/ldif/LdifParserImpl.java	(revision 389684)
+++ ldap/src/main/java/org/apache/directory/shared/ldap/ldif/LdifParserImpl.java	(working copy)
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@
 package org.apache.directory.shared.ldap.ldif;
 
 
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.StringReader;
-import java.io.BufferedReader;
+import java.io.*;
+import java.net.URL;
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 
 import javax.naming.NamingException;
 import javax.naming.directory.Attributes;
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 import org.apache.directory.shared.ldap.exception.LdapNamingException;
 import org.apache.directory.shared.ldap.message.ResultCodeEnum;
 import org.apache.directory.shared.ldap.util.Base64;
+import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
 
 
 /**
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@
      */
     public synchronized void parse( Attributes attributes, String ldif ) throws NamingException
     {
+        boolean isImportFile = false;
         boolean isBase64Encoded = false;
         int lineCount = 0;
         int index;
@@ -123,10 +125,15 @@
                 }
 
                 // Consume next char and check if it's a colon for binary attr.
-                if ( line.charAt( ++index ) == ':' )
+                index++;
+                if ( line.charAt( index ) == ':' )
                 {
                     isBase64Encoded = true;
                 }
+                else if ( line.charAt( index ) == '<' )
+                {
+                    isImportFile = true;
+                }
 
                 // Advance index past whitespace to the first char of the value.
                 try
@@ -165,6 +172,58 @@
                     }
                     isBase64Encoded = false;
                 }
+                else if ( isImportFile && ( attrValue != null ) )
+                {
+                    final URL               url;
+                    InputStream             is = null;
+                    ByteArrayOutputStream   bos = null;
+                    final byte[]            value;
+
+                    try
+                    {
+                        url = new URL(attrValue);
+                        is = url.openStream();
+                        bos = new ByteArrayOutputStream(4 * 1024);
+                        IOUtils.copy(is, bos);
+                        value = bos.toByteArray();
+                    }
+                    catch (MalformedURLException e)
+                    {
+                        throw new LdapNamingException( "Line " + lineCount + " [" + line
+                        + "] passes malformed URL to ':<' inclusion.\n{" + ldif + "}",
+                        ResultCodeEnum.OTHER );
+                    }
+                    catch (IOException e)
+                    {
+                        throw new LdapNamingException( "Line " + lineCount + " [" + line
+                        + "] failed including URL passed to ':<' inclusion.\n{" + ldif + "}",
+                        ResultCodeEnum.OTHER );
+                    }
+                    finally
+                    {
+                        if (is != null)
+                            try
+                            {
+                                is.close();
+                            } catch (IOException e) {}
+                        if (bos != null)
+                            try
+                            {
+                                bos.close();
+                            } catch (IOException e) {}
+                    }
+
+                    if ( attributes.get( attrName ) == null )
+                    {
+                        attributes.put( attrName, value );
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        Attribute attribute = attributes.get( attrName );
+                        attribute.add( value );
+                    }
+                    isImportFile = false;
+                }
                 else
                 {
                     if ( attributes.get( attrName ) == null )