diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/config/MappingMongoConverterParser.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/config/MappingMongoConverterParser.java
index 158691df8..527ac5927 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/config/MappingMongoConverterParser.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/config/MappingMongoConverterParser.java
@@ -19,11 +19,13 @@ package org.springframework.data.document.mongodb.config;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import org.springframework.beans.BeanMetadataElement;
 import org.springframework.beans.MutablePropertyValues;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanDefinitionStoreException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.NoSuchBeanDefinitionException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionHolder;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.RuntimeBeanNameReference;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.RuntimeBeanReference;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.parsing.CompositeComponentDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanDefinition;
@@ -145,23 +147,21 @@ public class MappingMongoConverterParser extends AbstractBeanDefinitionParser {
 		return classes;
 	}
 
-	public BeanDefinition parseConverter(Element element, ParserContext parserContext) {
+	public BeanMetadataElement parseConverter(Element element, ParserContext parserContext) {
 		
 		String converterRef= element.getAttribute("ref");
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(converterRef)) {
-			//TODO: need to make this work for beans not in the registry yet
-			BeanDefinition converterBean = parserContext.getRegistry().getBeanDefinition(converterRef);
-			return converterBean;
+			return new RuntimeBeanReference(converterRef);
 		}
 		Element beanElement = DomUtils.getChildElementByTagName(element, "bean");
 		if (beanElement != null) {
 			BeanDefinitionHolder beanDef = parserContext.getDelegate().parseBeanDefinitionElement(beanElement);
 			beanDef = parserContext.getDelegate().decorateBeanDefinitionIfRequired(beanElement, beanDef);
-			return beanDef.getBeanDefinition();
+			return beanDef;
 		}
 
 		parserContext.getReaderContext().error(
-				"Element <converter> must specify either 'ref' or contain a bean definition for the converter", element);
+				"Element <converter> must specify 'ref' or contain a bean definition for the converter", element);
 		return null;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/config/MongoNamespaceTests-context.xml b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/config/MongoNamespaceTests-context.xml
index 724afafef..20366ae44 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/config/MongoNamespaceTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/document/mongodb/config/MongoNamespaceTests-context.xml
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@
 
   <mongo:mongo id="defaultMongo" host="localhost" port="27017"/>
 
-  <bean id="readConverter" class="org.springframework.data.document.mongodb.PersonReadConverter"/>
-
   <mongo:mapping-converter>
     <mongo:custom-converters>
       <mongo:converter ref="readConverter"/>
@@ -23,6 +21,8 @@
     </mongo:custom-converters>
   </mongo:mapping-converter>
     
+  <bean id="readConverter" class="org.springframework.data.document.mongodb.PersonReadConverter"/>
+
   <bean id="mongoTemplate" class="org.springframework.data.document.mongodb.MongoTemplate">
     <constructor-arg name="mongo" ref="mongo"/>
     <constructor-arg name="databaseName" value="database"/>