diff --git a/src/main/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/spring-gemfire-1.0.xsd b/src/main/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/spring-gemfire-1.0.xsd
index 212e1578..9a92af95 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/spring-gemfire-1.0.xsd
+++ b/src/main/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/spring-gemfire-1.0.xsd
@@ -743,10 +743,7 @@ The port number of the connection (between 1 and 65535 inclusive).
 				]]></xsd:documentation>
 			</xsd:annotation>
 			<xsd:simpleType>
-				<xsd:restriction base="xsd:positiveInteger">
-					<xsd:minInclusive value="1"/>
-					<xsd:maxInclusive value="65535"/>
-				</xsd:restriction>
+				<xsd:restriction base="xsd:string"/>
 			</xsd:simpleType>			
 		</xsd:attribute>
 	</xsd:complexType>
diff --git a/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/pool-ns.xml b/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/pool-ns.xml
index f5b6a3d5..b51bf75d 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/pool-ns.xml
+++ b/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/pool-ns.xml
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 	xmlns:gfe="http://www.springframework.org/schema/gemfire"
 	xmlns:p="http://www.springframework.org/schema/p"
 	xmlns:util="http://www.springframework.org/schema/util"
+	xmlns:context="http://www.springframework.org/schema/context"
 	xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/gemfire http://www.springframework.org/schema/gemfire/spring-gemfire.xsd
 		http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd
+		http://www.springframework.org/schema/context http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context.xsd
 		http://www.springframework.org/schema/util http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util.xsd">
 
 	<!-- all beans are lazy to allow the same config to be used between multiple tests -->
@@ -14,12 +16,13 @@
 	<gfe:cache />
 	
 	<gfe:pool>
-		<gfe:locator host="localhost" port="40403"/>
+		<gfe:locator host="localhost" port="${gfe.port}"/>
 	</gfe:pool>
 	
 	<gfe:pool id="complex" free-connection-timeout="6000" retry-attempts="30" ping-interval="5000" subscription-enabled="true">
-		<gfe:server host="localhost" port="40404"/>
+		<gfe:server host="localhost" port="${gfe.port.4}"/>
 		<gfe:server host="localhost" port="40405"/>
 	</gfe:pool>
 	
+	<context:property-placeholder location="classpath:port.properties"/>
 </beans>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/resources/port.properties b/src/test/resources/port.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..66e8f405
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/resources/port.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+gfe.port=40403
+gfe.port.4=40404
\ No newline at end of file