diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/Neo4jTemplate.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/Neo4jTemplate.java
index b24afbb9a..7583117b1 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/Neo4jTemplate.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/Neo4jTemplate.java
@@ -16,22 +16,9 @@
 
 package org.springframework.data.neo4j.support;
 
-import static org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.ParameterCheck.*;
-
-import java.util.Map;
-
-import javax.annotation.PostConstruct;
-import javax.validation.Validator;
-
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.DynamicRelationshipType;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.GraphDatabaseService;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.Node;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.Path;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.PropertyContainer;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.Relationship;
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.Transaction;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.*;
 import org.neo4j.graphdb.index.Index;
 import org.neo4j.graphdb.traversal.TraversalDescription;
 import org.neo4j.helpers.collection.ClosableIterable;
@@ -70,6 +57,12 @@ import org.springframework.transaction.TransactionStatus;
 import org.springframework.transaction.support.TransactionCallback;
 import org.springframework.transaction.support.TransactionTemplate;
 
+import javax.annotation.PostConstruct;
+import javax.validation.Validator;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import static org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.ParameterCheck.notNull;
+
 /**
  * Mediator class for the graph related services like the {@link GraphDatabaseService}, the used
  * {@link org.springframework.data.neo4j.core.TypeRepresentationStrategy}, entity instantiators for nodes and relationships as well as a spring conversion service.
@@ -275,9 +268,8 @@ public class Neo4jTemplate implements Neo4jOperations, EntityPersister {
 
     @SuppressWarnings("unused")
     @PostConstruct
-    public Neo4jTemplate postConstruct() {
+    public void postConstruct() {
         infrastructure.postConstruct();
-        return this;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/template/NeoApiTest.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/template/NeoApiTest.java
index b43843999..8e295ae44 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/template/NeoApiTest.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/template/NeoApiTest.java
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ public abstract class NeoApiTest {
         conversionService = createConversionService();
         graph = createGraphDatabase();
         transactionManager = createTransactionManager();
-        template = new Neo4jTemplate(graph, transactionManager).postConstruct();
+        template = new Neo4jTemplate(graph, transactionManager);
+        template.postConstruct();
     }
 
     private ConversionService createConversionService() throws Exception {
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/test/snippets/SnippetNeo4jTemplateMethodsTest.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/test/snippets/SnippetNeo4jTemplateMethodsTest.java
index ca7be28d1..1eb014755 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/test/snippets/SnippetNeo4jTemplateMethodsTest.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/test/snippets/SnippetNeo4jTemplateMethodsTest.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.data.neo4j.conversion.ResultConverter;
 import org.springframework.data.neo4j.core.GraphDatabase;
 import org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.Neo4jTemplate;
-import org.springframework.data.neo4j.template.Neo4jOperations;
 import org.springframework.data.test.DocumentingTestBase;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
@@ -56,7 +55,8 @@ public class SnippetNeo4jTemplateMethodsTest extends DocumentingTestBase {
 
         // SNIPPET template
         // TODO auto-post-construct !!
-        Neo4jOperations neo = new Neo4jTemplate(graphDatabase).postConstruct();
+        final Neo4jTemplate neo = new Neo4jTemplate(graphDatabase);
+        neo.postConstruct();
 
         Node mark = neo.createNode(map("name", "Mark"));
         Node thomas = neo.createNode(map("name", "Thomas"));