diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/pom.xml b/spring-data-commons-core/pom.xml
index 9b8c48dab..337812e7e 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/pom.xml
@@ -35,24 +35,10 @@
     </dependency>
 
     <!-- Logging -->
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
-      <artifactId>slf4j-api</artifactId>
-    </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
-      <artifactId>jcl-over-slf4j</artifactId>
-      <scope>test</scope>
-    </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
-      <artifactId>slf4j-log4j12</artifactId>
-      <scope>test</scope>
-    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j</artifactId>
-      <scope>runtime</scope>
+      <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/BasicMappingContext.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/BasicMappingContext.java
index 13e3a5d01..bd8dbeb8c 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/BasicMappingContext.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/BasicMappingContext.java
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
 
-import org.slf4j.Logger;
-import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEventPublisher;
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public class BasicMappingContext implements MappingContext, InitializingBean, Ap
 
   private static final Set<String> UNMAPPED_FIELDS = new HashSet<String>(Arrays.asList("class", "this$0"));
   
-  protected Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());
+  protected Log log = LogFactory.getLog(getClass());
   protected ApplicationEventPublisher applicationEventPublisher;
   protected ConcurrentMap<TypeInformation, PersistentEntity<?>> persistentEntities = new ConcurrentHashMap<TypeInformation, PersistentEntity<?>>();
   protected ConcurrentMap<PersistentEntity<?>, List<Validator>> validators = new ConcurrentHashMap<PersistentEntity<?>, List<Validator>>();
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/persistence/AbstractConstructorEntityInstantiator.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/persistence/AbstractConstructorEntityInstantiator.java
index 6f1fdab81..7415292e2 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/persistence/AbstractConstructorEntityInstantiator.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/persistence/AbstractConstructorEntityInstantiator.java
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package org.springframework.data.persistence;
 
-import org.slf4j.Logger;
-import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
  */
 public abstract class AbstractConstructorEntityInstantiator<BACKING_INTERFACE, STATE> implements EntityInstantiator<BACKING_INTERFACE, STATE> {
 
-    private final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());
+    private final Log log = LogFactory.getLog(getClass());
     private final Map<Class<? extends BACKING_INTERFACE>,StateBackedCreator<? extends BACKING_INTERFACE,STATE>> cache = new HashMap<Class<? extends BACKING_INTERFACE>,StateBackedCreator<? extends BACKING_INTERFACE,STATE>>();
 
 	final public <T extends BACKING_INTERFACE> T createEntityFromState(STATE n, Class<T> c) {
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/config/AbstractRepositoryConfigDefinitionParser.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/config/AbstractRepositoryConfigDefinitionParser.java
index 63039f087..33dd0b7c8 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/config/AbstractRepositoryConfigDefinitionParser.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/config/AbstractRepositoryConfigDefinitionParser.java
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
-import org.slf4j.Logger;
-import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.AnnotatedBeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.parsing.BeanComponentDefinition;
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ import org.w3c.dom.Element;
 public abstract class AbstractRepositoryConfigDefinitionParser<S extends GlobalRepositoryConfigInformation<T>, T extends SingleRepositoryConfigInformation<S>>
         implements BeanDefinitionParser {
 
-    private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory
-            .getLogger(AbstractRepositoryConfigDefinitionParser.class);
+    private static final Log LOG = LogFactory.getLog(
+    		AbstractRepositoryConfigDefinitionParser.class);
 
     private static final String REPOSITORY_INTERFACE_POST_PROCESSOR =
             "org.springframework.data.repository.support.RepositoryInterfaceAwareBeanPostProcessor";
@@ -223,12 +223,13 @@ public abstract class AbstractRepositoryConfigDefinitionParser<S extends GlobalR
             AbstractBeanDefinition beanDefinition = builder.getBeanDefinition();
             beanDefinition.setSource(beanSource);
 
-            LOG.debug(
-                    "Registering repository: {} - Interface: {} - Factory: {}, - Custom implementation: {}",
-                    new Object[] { context.getBeanId(),
-                            context.getInterfaceName(),
-                            context.getRepositoryFactoryBeanClassName(),
-                            customImplementationBeanName });
+            if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) {
+              LOG.debug(
+                  "Registering repository: " + context.getBeanId() + 
+                  " - Interface: " + context.getInterfaceName() + 
+                  " - Factory: " + context.getRepositoryFactoryBeanClassName() + 
+                  ", - Custom implementation: " + customImplementationBeanName);
+            }
 
             BeanComponentDefinition definition =
                     new BeanComponentDefinition(beanDefinition,
@@ -285,9 +286,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractRepositoryConfigDefinitionParser<S extends GlobalR
                 return null;
             }
 
-            LOG.debug("Registering custom repository implementation: {} {}",
-                    config.getImplementationBeanName(),
-                    beanDefinition.getBeanClassName());
+            if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) {
+              LOG.debug("Registering custom repository implementation: " +
+                  config.getImplementationBeanName() + " " +
+                  beanDefinition.getBeanClassName());
+            }
 
             beanDefinition.setSource(source);
             parser.registerBeanComponent(new BeanComponentDefinition(
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/transaction/ChangeSetBackedTransactionSynchronization.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/transaction/ChangeSetBackedTransactionSynchronization.java
index 5ea9353d6..a13afcfe5 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/transaction/ChangeSetBackedTransactionSynchronization.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/transaction/ChangeSetBackedTransactionSynchronization.java
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 package org.springframework.data.transaction;
 
-import org.slf4j.Logger;
-import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.springframework.data.persistence.ChangeSetBacked;
 import org.springframework.data.persistence.ChangeSetPersister;
 import org.springframework.transaction.support.TransactionSynchronization;
 
 public class ChangeSetBackedTransactionSynchronization implements TransactionSynchronization {
 
-	protected final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());
+	protected final Log log = LogFactory.getLog(getClass());
 
 	private ChangeSetPersister<Object> changeSetPersister;
 
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-parent/pom.xml b/spring-data-commons-parent/pom.xml
index 9aa9c19a0..253cda26d 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-parent/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-data-commons-parent/pom.xml
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 		<junit.version>4.8.1</junit.version>
 		<log4j.version>1.2.16</log4j.version>
 		<org.mockito.version>1.8.4</org.mockito.version>
-		<org.slf4j.version>1.5.10</org.slf4j.version>
 		<org.springframework.version>3.0.5.RELEASE</org.springframework.version>
 	</properties>
 	<profiles>
@@ -99,12 +98,6 @@
 				<groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
 				<artifactId>spring-core</artifactId>
 				<version>${org.springframework.version}</version>
-				<exclusions>
-					<exclusion>
-						<groupId>commons-logging</groupId>
-						<artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
-					</exclusion>
-				</exclusions>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
@@ -136,23 +129,6 @@
 			</dependency>
 
 			<!-- Logging -->
-			<dependency>
-				<groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
-				<artifactId>slf4j-api</artifactId>
-				<version>${org.slf4j.version}</version>
-			</dependency>
-			<dependency>
-				<groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
-				<artifactId>jcl-over-slf4j</artifactId>
-				<version>${org.slf4j.version}</version>
-				<scope>runtime</scope>
-			</dependency>
-			<dependency>
-				<groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
-				<artifactId>slf4j-log4j12</artifactId>
-				<version>${org.slf4j.version}</version>
-				<scope>runtime</scope>
-			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>log4j</groupId>
 				<artifactId>log4j</artifactId>