diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/RegionFactoryBean.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/RegionFactoryBean.java
index c7676a67..83bc1cb3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/RegionFactoryBean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/RegionFactoryBean.java
@@ -250,47 +250,33 @@ public class RegionFactoryBean<K, V> extends RegionLookupFactoryBean<K, V> imple
 				if (!region.getRegionService().isClosed()) {
 					try {
 						region.close();
+						region = null;
 					} catch (CacheClosedException cce) {
 						// nothing to see folks, move on.
 					}
 				}
-			} else if (destroy) {
+				
+			} if (destroy) {
 				region.destroyRegion();
+				region = null;
 			}
 		}
-		region = null;
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Indicates whether the region referred by this factory bean, will be
-	 * destroyed on shutdown (default false). Note: destroy and close are
-	 * mutually exclusive. Enabling one will automatically disable the other.
-	 * 
-	 * @param destroy whether or not to destroy the region
-	 * 
-	 * @see #setClose(boolean)
+	 * destroyed on shutdown (default false).
 	 */
 	public void setDestroy(boolean destroy) {
 		this.destroy = destroy;
-
-		if (destroy) {
-			close = false;
-		}
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Indicates whether the region referred by this factory bean, will be
-	 * closed on shutdown (default true). Note: destroy and close are mutually
-	 * exclusive. Enabling one will automatically disable the other.
-	 * 
-	 * @param close whether to close or not the region
-	 * @see #setDestroy(boolean)
+	 * closed on shutdown (default true).
 	 */
 	public void setClose(boolean close) {
 		this.close = close;
-		if (close) {
-			destroy = false;
-		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/AbstractRegionParser.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/AbstractRegionParser.java
index 69b58c42..daee69bb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/AbstractRegionParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/AbstractRegionParser.java
@@ -98,9 +98,12 @@ abstract class AbstractRegionParser extends AliasReplacingBeanDefinitionParser {
 			String cacheRef = element.getAttribute("cache-ref");
 			// add cache reference (fallback to default if nothing is specified)
 			builder.addPropertyReference("cache", (StringUtils.hasText(cacheRef) ? cacheRef : GemfireConstants.DEFAULT_GEMFIRE_CACHE_NAME));
+			ParsingUtils.setPropertyValue(element, builder, "close");
+			ParsingUtils.setPropertyValue(element, builder, "destroy");
 		}
 		// add attributes
 		ParsingUtils.setPropertyValue(element, builder, "name");
+		
 		ParsingUtils.parseOptionalRegionAttributes(parserContext, element, attrBuilder);
 		ParsingUtils.parseStatistics(element, attrBuilder);
 		ParsingUtils.setPropertyValue(element, attrBuilder, "publisher");
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/ReplicatedRegionNamespaceTest.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/ReplicatedRegionNamespaceTest.java
index d94362ff..369e64bc 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/ReplicatedRegionNamespaceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/ReplicatedRegionNamespaceTest.java
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ public class ReplicatedRegionNamespaceTest {
 	@Test
 	public void testBasicReplica() throws Exception {
 		assertTrue(context.containsBean("simple"));
+		RegionFactoryBean fb = context.getBean("&simple", RegionFactoryBean.class);
+		assertEquals(false ,(Boolean)TestUtils.readField("close", fb));
 	}
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
diff --git a/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/replicated-ns.xml b/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/replicated-ns.xml
index 9101253e..3f772a77 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/replicated-ns.xml
+++ b/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/gemfire/config/replicated-ns.xml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 	<gfe:cache />
 	
-	<gfe:replicated-region id="simple" />
+	<gfe:replicated-region id="simple" close="false" />
 	
 	<gfe:replicated-region id="pub" name="publisher"/>