diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/CacheFactoryBean.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/CacheFactoryBean.java
index c1ec3ac3..cb979466 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/CacheFactoryBean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/CacheFactoryBean.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ import com.gemstone.gemfire.distributed.DistributedSystem;
 public class CacheFactoryBean implements BeanNameAware, BeanFactoryAware, BeanClassLoaderAware, DisposableBean,
 		InitializingBean, FactoryBean<Cache>, PersistenceExceptionTranslator {
 
-	private static final Log log = LogFactory.getLog(CacheFactoryBean.class);
+	protected final Log log = LogFactory.getLog(getClass());
 
 	private Cache cache;
 	private Resource cacheXml;
@@ -88,14 +88,14 @@ public class CacheFactoryBean implements BeanNameAware, BeanFactoryAware, BeanCl
 			th.setContextClassLoader(beanClassLoader);
 			// first look for open caches
 			String msg = null;
-			try {
-				cache = CacheFactory.getInstance(system);
-				msg = "Retrieved existing";
-			} catch (CacheClosedException ex) {
-				// fall back to cache creation
-				cache = CacheFactory.create(system);
+			cache = fetchExistingCache(system);
+			if (cache == null) {
+				cache = createCache(system);
 				msg = "Created";
 			}
+			else {
+				msg = "Retrieved existing";
+			}
 
 			log.info(msg + " GemFire v." + CacheFactory.getVersion() + " Cache [" + cache.getName() + "]");
 
@@ -111,6 +111,18 @@ public class CacheFactoryBean implements BeanNameAware, BeanFactoryAware, BeanCl
 		}
 	}
 
+	protected Cache fetchExistingCache(DistributedSystem system) {
+		try {
+			return CacheFactory.getInstance(system);
+		} catch (CacheClosedException ex) {
+			return null;
+		}
+	}
+
+	protected Cache createCache(DistributedSystem system) throws Exception {
+		return CacheFactory.create(system);
+	}
+
 	private Properties mergeProperties() {
 		Properties cfgProps = (properties != null ? (Properties) properties.clone() : new Properties());
 		return cfgProps;
@@ -158,10 +170,18 @@ public class CacheFactoryBean implements BeanNameAware, BeanFactoryAware, BeanCl
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	protected ClassLoader getBeanClassLoader() {
+		return beanClassLoader;
+	}
+
 	public void setBeanClassLoader(ClassLoader classLoader) {
 		this.beanClassLoader = classLoader;
 	}
 
+	protected BeanFactory getBeanFactory() {
+		return beanFactory;
+	}
+
 	public void setBeanFactory(BeanFactory beanFactory) throws BeansException {
 		this.beanFactory = beanFactory;
 	}
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/client/ClientCacheFactoryBean.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/client/ClientCacheFactoryBean.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f885290e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/client/ClientCacheFactoryBean.java
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2011 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.gemfire.client;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
+
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactory;
+import org.springframework.data.gemfire.CacheFactoryBean;
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
+
+import com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.Cache;
+import com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.client.ClientCacheFactory;
+import com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.client.Pool;
+import com.gemstone.gemfire.distributed.DistributedSystem;
+
+/**
+ * FactoryBean dedicated to creating client caches (caches for client JVMs).
+ * Intended mainly for usage with GemFire 6.5 (while preserving 6.0 compatibility).
+ * 
+ * @author Costin Leau
+ */
+public class ClientCacheFactoryBean extends CacheFactoryBean {
+
+	private String poolName;
+	private boolean GEMFIRE65 = false;
+
+	@Override
+	protected Cache createCache(final DistributedSystem system) throws Exception {
+		initPool();
+
+		if (GEMFIRE65) {
+			Callable<Cache> call = new Callable<Cache>() {
+				public Cache call() throws Exception {
+					return (Cache) new ClientCacheFactory(system.getProperties()).create();
+				}
+			};
+			return call.call();
+		}
+		return super.createCache(system);
+	}
+
+	private void initPool() {
+		BeanFactory beanFactory = getBeanFactory();
+
+		// try to eagerly initialize the pool name, if defined as a bean
+		if (beanFactory.isTypeMatch(poolName, Pool.class)) {
+			if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
+				log.debug("Found bean definition for pool '" + poolName + "'. Eagerly initializing it...");
+			}
+			beanFactory.getBean(poolName, Pool.class);
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets the pool name used by this client.
+	 * 
+	 * @param poolName
+	 */
+	public void setPoolName(String poolName) {
+		Assert.hasText(poolName, "pool name is required");
+		this.poolName = poolName;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets the pool used by this client.
+	 * 
+	 * @param pool
+	 */
+	public void setPool(Pool pool) {
+		Assert.notNull(pool, "pool cannot be null");
+		setPoolName(pool.getName());
+	}
+}