diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/SpringBootApplication.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/SpringBootApplication.java
index d2f6d7a1ed..9f6a2cd0b3 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/SpringBootApplication.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/SpringBootApplication.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2016 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.
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
 import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
 import java.lang.annotation.Target;
 
+import org.springframework.boot.SpringBootConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.ComponentScan;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.annotation.AliasFor;
 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
 @Documented
 @Inherited
-@Configuration
+@SpringBootConfiguration
 @EnableAutoConfiguration
 @ComponentScan
 public @interface SpringBootApplication {
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringBootConfiguration.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringBootConfiguration.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b8282bed96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringBootConfiguration.java
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2012-2016 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.boot;
+
+import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
+import java.lang.annotation.ElementType;
+import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
+import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
+import java.lang.annotation.Target;
+
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+
+/**
+ * Indicates that a class provides Spring Boot application
+ * {@link Configuration @Configuration}. Can be used as an alternative to the Spring's
+ * standard {@code @Configuration} annotation so that configuration can be found
+ * automatically (for example in tests).
+ * <p>
+ * Application should only ever include <em>one</em>
+ * {@code @SpringApplicationConfiguration} and most idiomatic Spring Boot applications
+ * will inherit it from {@code @SpringBootApplication}.
+ *
+ * @author Phillip Webb
+ * @since 1.4.0
+ */
+@Target(ElementType.TYPE)
+@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+@Documented
+@Configuration
+public @interface SpringBootConfiguration {
+
+}