diff --git a/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/DefaultBoundHashOperations.java b/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/DefaultBoundHashOperations.java
index 7639ed704..8387c45be 100644
--- a/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/DefaultBoundHashOperations.java
+++ b/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/DefaultBoundHashOperations.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import java.util.Set;
 class DefaultBoundHashOperations<H, HK, HV> extends DefaultKeyBound<H> implements BoundHashOperations<H, HK, HV> {
 
 	private final HashOperations<H, HK, HV> ops;
-	private RedisOperations<H, ?> template;
 
 	/**
 	 * Constructs a new <code>DefaultBoundHashOperations</code> instance.
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ class DefaultBoundHashOperations<H, HK, HV> extends DefaultKeyBound<H> implement
 
 	@Override
 	public RedisOperations<H, ?> getOperations() {
-		return template;
+		return ops.getOperations();
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/HashOperations.java b/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/HashOperations.java
index 82618e745..23755be71 100644
--- a/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/HashOperations.java
+++ b/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/HashOperations.java
@@ -43,4 +43,6 @@ public interface HashOperations<H, HK, HV> {
 	void set(H key, HK hashKey, HV value);
 
 	Collection<HV> values(H key);
+
+	RedisOperations<H, ?> getOperations();
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/RedisTemplate.java b/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/RedisTemplate.java
index 01b7d0e70..fd44f0b59 100644
--- a/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/RedisTemplate.java
+++ b/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/core/RedisTemplate.java
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ public class RedisTemplate<K, V> extends RedisAccessor implements RedisOperation
 	private boolean exposeConnection = false;
 	private RedisSerializer keySerializer = new StringRedisSerializer();
 	private RedisSerializer valueSerializer = new SimpleRedisSerializer();
-	private RedisSerializer defaultSerializer = new SimpleRedisSerializer();
+	private RedisSerializer hashKeySerializer = new SimpleRedisSerializer();
+	private RedisSerializer hashValueSerializer = new SimpleRedisSerializer();
 
 	public RedisTemplate() {
 	}
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ public class RedisTemplate<K, V> extends RedisAccessor implements RedisOperation
 	}
 
 	public <T> T execute(RedisCallback<T> action, boolean exposeConnection) {
-		return execute(action, isExposeConnection(), defaultSerializer);
+		return execute(action, isExposeConnection(), valueSerializer);
 	}
 
 	public <T> T execute(RedisCallback<T> action, boolean exposeConnection, RedisSerializer returnSerializer) {
@@ -133,18 +134,43 @@ public class RedisTemplate<K, V> extends RedisAccessor implements RedisOperation
 		this.exposeConnection = exposeConnection;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Sets the key serializer to be used by this template. Defaults to {@link SimpleRedisSerializer}.
+	 * 
+	 * @param serializer
+	 */
 	public void setKeySerializer(RedisSerializer serializer) {
 		this.keySerializer = serializer;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Sets the value serializer to be used by this template. Defaults to {@link SimpleRedisSerializer}.
+	 * 
+	 * @param serializer
+	 */
 	public void setValueSerializer(RedisSerializer serializer) {
 		this.valueSerializer = serializer;
 	}
 
-	public void setDefaultSerializer(RedisSerializer serializer) {
-		this.defaultSerializer = serializer;
+	/**
+	 * Sets the hash key (or field) serializer to be used by this template. Defaults to {@link SimpleRedisSerializer}. 
+	 * 
+	 * @param hashKeySerializer The hashKeySerializer to set.
+	 */
+	public void setHashKeySerializer(RedisSerializer hashKeySerializer) {
+		this.hashKeySerializer = hashKeySerializer;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Sets the hash value serializer to be used by this template. Defaults to {@link SimpleRedisSerializer}. 
+	 * 
+	 * @param hashValueSerializer The hashValueSerializer to set.
+	 */
+	public void setHashValueSerializer(RedisSerializer hashValueSerializer) {
+		this.hashValueSerializer = hashValueSerializer;
+	}
+
+
 	/**
 	 * Invocation handler that suppresses close calls on JDO PersistenceManagers.
 	 * Also prepares returned Query objects.
@@ -207,7 +233,9 @@ public class RedisTemplate<K, V> extends RedisAccessor implements RedisOperation
 		Collection<V> values = (List.class.isAssignableFrom(type) ? new ArrayList<V>(rawValues.size())
 				: new LinkedHashSet<V>(rawValues.size()));
 		for (byte[] bs : rawValues) {
-			values.add((V) valueSerializer.deserialize(bs));
+			if (bs != null) {
+				values.add((V) valueSerializer.deserialize(bs));
+			}
 		}
 
 		return (T) values;
@@ -218,21 +246,49 @@ public class RedisTemplate<K, V> extends RedisAccessor implements RedisOperation
 		Collection<H> values = (List.class.isAssignableFrom(type) ? new ArrayList<H>(rawValues.size())
 				: new LinkedHashSet<H>(rawValues.size()));
 		for (byte[] bs : rawValues) {
-			values.add((H) valueSerializer.deserialize(bs));
+			if (bs != null) {
+				values.add((H) valueSerializer.deserialize(bs));
+			}
 		}
 
 		return values;
 	}
 
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	private K deserializeKey(byte[] value) {
+		return (K) deserialize(value, keySerializer);
+	}
+
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	private V deserializeValue(byte[] value) {
+		return (V) deserialize(value, valueSerializer);
+	}
+
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	private <HK> HK deserializeHashKey(byte[] value) {
+		return (HK) deserialize(value, hashKeySerializer);
+	}
+
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	private <HV> HV deserializeHashValue(byte[] value) {
+		return (HV) deserialize(value, hashValueSerializer);
+	}
+
+	private <T> T deserialize(byte[] value, RedisSerializer<T> serializer) {
+		if (isEmpty(value)) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		return (T) serializer.deserialize(value);
+	}
+
+	private static boolean isEmpty(byte[] data) {
+		return (data == null || data.length == 0);
+	}
+
 	// utility methods for the template internal methods
 	private abstract class ValueDeserializingRedisCallback implements RedisCallback<V> {
 		private K key;
 
-		public ValueDeserializingRedisCallback() {
-			this(null);
-
-		}
-
 		public ValueDeserializingRedisCallback(K key) {
 			this.key = key;
 		}
@@ -241,10 +297,7 @@ public class RedisTemplate<K, V> extends RedisAccessor implements RedisOperation
 		@Override
 		public final V doInRedis(RedisConnection connection) {
 			byte[] result = inRedis(rawKey(key), connection);
-			if (result != null) {
-				return (V) valueSerializer.deserialize(result);
-			}
-			return null;
+			return deserializeValue(result);
 		}
 
 		protected abstract byte[] inRedis(byte[] rawKey, RedisConnection connection);
@@ -558,7 +611,7 @@ public class RedisTemplate<K, V> extends RedisAccessor implements RedisOperation
 		public void diffAndStore(final K key, K destKey, final K... keys) {
 			final byte[][] rawKeys = rawKeys(aggregateKeys(key, keys));
 			final byte[] rawDestKey = rawKey(destKey);
-			Object rawValues = execute(new RedisCallback<Object>() {
+			execute(new RedisCallback<Object>() {
 				@Override
 				public Object doInRedis(RedisConnection connection) {
 					connection.sDiffStore(rawDestKey, rawKeys);
@@ -881,6 +934,11 @@ public class RedisTemplate<K, V> extends RedisAccessor implements RedisOperation
 
 	private class DefaultHashOperations<HK, HV> implements HashOperations<K, HK, HV> {
 
+		@Override
+		public RedisOperations<K, ?> getOperations() {
+			return RedisTemplate.this;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public HV get(K key, Object hashKey) {
 			final byte[] rawKey = rawKey(key);
@@ -893,7 +951,7 @@ public class RedisTemplate<K, V> extends RedisAccessor implements RedisOperation
 				}
 			}, true);
 
-			return (HV) valueSerializer.deserialize(rawHashValue);
+			return deserializeHashValue(rawHashValue);
 		}
 
 		@Override
diff --git a/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/util/DefaultRedisMap.java b/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/util/DefaultRedisMap.java
index e1b3440ea..5e84e389f 100644
--- a/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/util/DefaultRedisMap.java
+++ b/spring-data-redis/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/keyvalue/redis/util/DefaultRedisMap.java
@@ -31,10 +31,21 @@ public class DefaultRedisMap<K, V> implements RedisMap<K, V> {
 
 	private final BoundHashOperations<String, K, V> hashOps;
 
+	/**
+	 * Constructs a new <code>DefaultRedisMap</code> instance.
+	 *
+	 * @param key
+	 * @param operations
+	 */
 	public DefaultRedisMap(String key, RedisOperations<String, ?> operations) {
 		this.hashOps = operations.forHash(key);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Constructs a new <code>DefaultRedisMap</code> instance.
+	 *
+	 * @param boundOps
+	 */
 	public DefaultRedisMap(BoundHashOperations<String, K, V> boundOps) {
 		this.hashOps = boundOps;
 	}