diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContext.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContext.java
index 736edd374..02d34b52c 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContext.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContext.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2011 by the original author(s).
+ * Copyright 2011-2012 by the original author(s).
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -34,9 +34,14 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.Lock;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantReadWriteLock;
 
+import org.springframework.beans.BeansException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEventPublisher;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEventPublisherAware;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationListener;
+import org.springframework.context.event.ContextRefreshedEvent;
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.PersistentEntity;
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.PersistentProperty;
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.PropertyPath;
@@ -63,7 +68,8 @@ import org.springframework.validation.Validator;
  * @author Oliver Gierke
  */
 public abstract class AbstractMappingContext<E extends MutablePersistentEntity<?, P>, P extends PersistentProperty<P>>
-		implements MappingContext<E, P>, InitializingBean, ApplicationEventPublisherAware {
+		implements MappingContext<E, P>, InitializingBean, ApplicationEventPublisherAware, ApplicationContextAware,
+		ApplicationListener<ContextRefreshedEvent> {
 
 	private static final Set<String> UNMAPPED_FIELDS = new HashSet<String>(Arrays.asList("class", "this$0"));
 
@@ -71,6 +77,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractMappingContext<E extends MutablePersistentEntity<?
 	private final ConcurrentMap<E, List<Validator>> validators = new ConcurrentHashMap<E, List<Validator>>();
 
 	private ApplicationEventPublisher applicationEventPublisher;
+	private ApplicationContext applicationContext;
 	private Set<? extends Class<?>> initialEntitySet = new HashSet<Class<?>>();
 	private boolean strict = false;
 	private SimpleTypeHolder simpleTypeHolder = new SimpleTypeHolder();
@@ -79,14 +86,25 @@ public abstract class AbstractMappingContext<E extends MutablePersistentEntity<?
 	private final Lock read = lock.readLock();
 	private final Lock write = lock.writeLock();
 
-	/*
-	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	/**
+	 * Use {@link #setApplicationContext(ApplicationContext)} instead.
+	 * 
+	 * @see #setApplicationContext(ApplicationContext)
 	 * @see org.springframework.context.ApplicationEventPublisherAware#setApplicationEventPublisher(org.springframework.context.ApplicationEventPublisher)
 	 */
+	@Deprecated
 	public void setApplicationEventPublisher(ApplicationEventPublisher applicationEventPublisher) {
 		this.applicationEventPublisher = applicationEventPublisher;
 	}
 
+	/* 
+	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware#setApplicationContext(org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext)
+	 */
+	public void setApplicationContext(ApplicationContext applicationContext) throws BeansException {
+		this.applicationContext = applicationContext;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Sets the {@link Set} of types to populate the context initially.
 	 * 
@@ -321,11 +339,29 @@ public abstract class AbstractMappingContext<E extends MutablePersistentEntity<?
 	protected abstract P createPersistentProperty(Field field, PropertyDescriptor descriptor, E owner,
 			SimpleTypeHolder simpleTypeHolder);
 
-	/*
-	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	/**
+	 * Initial entity population is now done on receiving the {@link ContextRefreshedEvent}. If implementations still need
+	 * the {@link InitializingBean} hook implement the interface yourself. Assume not entities being added at invocation
+	 * time yet.
+	 * 
+	 * @see #onApplicationEvent(ContextRefreshedEvent)
 	 * @see org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean#afterPropertiesSet()
 	 */
+	@Deprecated
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() {
+
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see org.springframework.context.ApplicationListener#onApplicationEvent(org.springframework.context.ApplicationEvent)
+	 */
+	public void onApplicationEvent(ContextRefreshedEvent event) {
+
+		if (!event.getApplicationContext().equals(applicationContext)) {
+			return;
+		}
+
 		for (Class<?> initialEntity : initialEntitySet) {
 			addPersistentEntity(initialEntity);
 		}
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/convert/ConfigurableTypeInformationMapperUnitTests.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/convert/ConfigurableTypeInformationMapperUnitTests.java
index 775482706..25f82770d 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/convert/ConfigurableTypeInformationMapperUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/convert/ConfigurableTypeInformationMapperUnitTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2011 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2011-2012 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.
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.mockito.Mock;
+import org.mockito.runners.MockitoJUnitRunner;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.event.ContextRefreshedEvent;
 import org.springframework.data.annotation.TypeAlias;
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.Association;
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.PersistentProperty;
@@ -42,9 +47,12 @@ import org.springframework.data.util.TypeInformation;
  * 
  * @author Oliver Gierke
  */
+@RunWith(MockitoJUnitRunner.class)
 public class ConfigurableTypeInformationMapperUnitTests<T extends PersistentProperty<T>> {
 
 	ConfigurableTypeInformationMapper mapper;
+	@Mock
+	ApplicationContext context;
 
 	@Before
 	public void setUp() {
@@ -93,8 +101,11 @@ public class ConfigurableTypeInformationMapperUnitTests<T extends PersistentProp
 			}
 		};
 
+		ContextRefreshedEvent event = new ContextRefreshedEvent(context);
+
 		mappingContext.setInitialEntitySet(Collections.singleton(Entity.class));
-		mappingContext.afterPropertiesSet();
+		mappingContext.setApplicationContext(context);
+		mappingContext.onApplicationEvent(event);
 
 		mapper = new ConfigurableTypeInformationMapper(mappingContext);
 
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/MappingMetadataTests.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/MappingMetadataTests.java
index 100794ff5..14aff04ce 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/MappingMetadataTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/MappingMetadataTests.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ public class MappingMetadataTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
+	@SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
 	public void testPojoWithId() {
 
 		ctx.setInitialEntitySet(Collections.singleton(PersonWithId.class));
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ public class MappingMetadataTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
+	@SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
 	public void testAssociations() {
 
 		ctx.setInitialEntitySet(Collections.singleton(PersonWithChildren.class));
@@ -101,4 +103,4 @@ public class MappingMetadataTests {
 			return new Association<MappingMetadataTests.SampleProperty>(this, null);
 		}
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContextUnitTests.java b/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContextUnitTests.java
index 06b4811d6..c54d378bb 100644
--- a/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContextUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-commons-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/context/AbstractMappingContextUnitTests.java
@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
 package org.springframework.data.mapping.context;
 
-import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.*;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.*;
 import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;
 
 import java.beans.PropertyDescriptor;
 import java.lang.reflect.Field;
+import java.util.Collections;
 
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.mockito.Mockito;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEvent;
+import org.springframework.context.event.ContextRefreshedEvent;
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.Association;
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.PropertyPath;
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.model.AbstractPersistentProperty;
@@ -54,6 +60,24 @@ public class AbstractMappingContextUnitTests {
 		context.getPersistentEntity(Unsupported.class);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	@SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
+	public void registersEntitiesOnContextRefreshedEvent() {
+
+		ApplicationContext context = mock(ApplicationContext.class);
+
+		DummyMappingContext mappingContext = new DummyMappingContext();
+		mappingContext.setInitialEntitySet(Collections.singleton(Person.class));
+		mappingContext.setApplicationContext(context);
+		mappingContext.setApplicationEventPublisher(context);
+
+		mappingContext.afterPropertiesSet();
+		verify(context, times(0)).publishEvent(Mockito.any(ApplicationEvent.class));
+
+		mappingContext.onApplicationEvent(new ContextRefreshedEvent(context));
+		verify(context, times(1)).publishEvent(Mockito.any(ApplicationEvent.class));
+	}
+
 	class Person {
 		String name;
 	}