diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoDbUtils.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoDbUtils.java
index dd798ff19..b8fd5d34c 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoDbUtils.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoDbUtils.java
@@ -104,12 +104,13 @@ public abstract class MongoDbUtils {
 		DB db = mongo.getDB(databaseName);
 		boolean credentialsGiven = credentials.hasUsername() && credentials.hasPassword();
 
-		if (credentialsGiven && !db.isAuthenticated()) {
+		synchronized (db) {
 
-			String username = credentials.getUsername();
-			String password = credentials.hasPassword() ? credentials.getPassword() : null;
+			if (credentialsGiven && !db.isAuthenticated()) {
+
+				String username = credentials.getUsername();
+				String password = credentials.hasPassword() ? credentials.getPassword() : null;
 
-			synchronized (db) {
 				if (!db.authenticate(username, password == null ? null : password.toCharArray())) {
 					throw new CannotGetMongoDbConnectionException("Failed to authenticate to database [" + databaseName
 							+ "], username = [" + username + "], password = [" + password + "]", databaseName, credentials);
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoDbUtilsIntegrationTests.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoDbUtilsIntegrationTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..47b78c639
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/MongoDbUtilsIntegrationTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2012 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.springframework.data.mongodb.core;
+
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.*;
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
+
+import org.junit.AfterClass;
+import org.junit.BeforeClass;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.springframework.dao.DataAccessException;
+import org.springframework.data.authentication.UserCredentials;
+import org.springframework.scheduling.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutorFactoryBean;
+
+import com.mongodb.DB;
+import com.mongodb.Mongo;
+import com.mongodb.MongoException;
+
+/**
+ * Integration tests for {@link MongoDbUtils}.
+ * 
+ * @author Oliver Gierke
+ */
+public class MongoDbUtilsIntegrationTests {
+
+	static final String DATABASE_NAME = "dbAuthTests";
+	static final UserCredentials CREDENTIALS = new UserCredentials("admin", "admin");
+
+	static Mongo mongo;
+	static MongoTemplate template;
+	static ThreadPoolExecutorFactoryBean factory;
+	static ExecutorService service;
+
+	Exception exception;
+
+	@BeforeClass
+	public static void setUp() throws Exception {
+
+		mongo = new Mongo();
+		template = new MongoTemplate(mongo, DATABASE_NAME);
+
+		// Create sample user
+		template.execute(new DbCallback<Void>() {
+			public Void doInDB(DB db) throws MongoException, DataAccessException {
+				db.addUser("admin", "admin".toCharArray());
+				return null;
+			}
+		});
+
+		factory = new ThreadPoolExecutorFactoryBean();
+		factory.setCorePoolSize(2);
+		factory.setMaxPoolSize(10);
+		factory.setWaitForTasksToCompleteOnShutdown(true);
+		factory.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		service = factory.getObject();
+	}
+
+	@AfterClass
+	public static void tearDown() {
+
+		factory.destroy();
+
+		// Remove test database
+
+		template.execute(new DbCallback<Void>() {
+			public Void doInDB(DB db) throws MongoException, DataAccessException {
+				db.dropDatabase();
+				return null;
+			}
+		});
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAMONGO-585
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void authenticatesCorrectlyInMultithreadedEnvironment() throws Exception {
+
+		Callable<Void> callable = new Callable<Void>() {
+			public Void call() throws Exception {
+
+				try {
+					DB db = MongoDbUtils.getDB(mongo, DATABASE_NAME, CREDENTIALS);
+					assertThat(db, is(notNullValue()));
+				} catch (Exception o_O) {
+					MongoDbUtilsIntegrationTests.this.exception = o_O;
+				}
+
+				return null;
+			}
+		};
+
+		List<Callable<Void>> callables = new ArrayList<Callable<Void>>();
+
+		for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+			callables.add(callable);
+		}
+
+		service.invokeAll(callables);
+
+		if (exception != null) {
+			fail("Exception occurred!" + exception);
+		}
+	}
+}