diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/support/PersistentEntityProjector.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/support/PersistentEntityProjector.java
index 504a8fe83..ea886dcaa 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/support/PersistentEntityProjector.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/support/PersistentEntityProjector.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2014-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2014-2016 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.
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.support;
 
+import org.springframework.core.convert.converter.Converter;
 import org.springframework.data.projection.ProjectionFactory;
 import org.springframework.data.rest.core.mapping.ResourceMappings;
 import org.springframework.data.rest.core.projection.ProjectionDefinitions;
@@ -59,13 +60,49 @@ public class PersistentEntityProjector extends DefaultExcerptProjector implement
 	 */
 	public Object project(Object source) {
 
+		return projectWithDefault(source, new Converter<Object, Object>() {
+
+			@Override
+			public Object convert(Object source) {
+				return source;
+			}
+		});
+	}
+
+	/* 
+	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.support.DefaultExcerptProjector#projectExcerpt(java.lang.Object)
+	 */
+	@Override
+	public Object projectExcerpt(Object source) {
+
+		return projectWithDefault(source, new Converter<Object, Object>() {
+
+			@Override
+			public Object convert(Object source) {
+				return PersistentEntityProjector.super.projectExcerpt(source);
+			}
+		});
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Creates the projection for the given source instance falling back to the given {@link Converter} if no explicit
+	 * projection is selected.
+	 * 
+	 * @param source must not be {@literal null}.
+	 * @param converter must not be {@literal null}.
+	 * @return
+	 */
+	private Object projectWithDefault(Object source, Converter<Object, Object> converter) {
+
 		Assert.notNull(source, "Projection source must not be null!");
+		Assert.notNull(converter, "Converter must not be null!");
 
 		if (!StringUtils.hasText(projection)) {
-			return source;
+			return converter.convert(source);
 		}
 
 		Class<?> projectionType = definitions.getProjectionType(source.getClass(), projection);
-		return projectionType == null ? source : factory.createProjection(projectionType, source);
+		return projectionType == null ? converter.convert(source) : factory.createProjection(projectionType, source);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/support/PersistentEntityProjectorUnitTests.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/support/PersistentEntityProjectorUnitTests.java
index 9a8118789..02f81418c 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/support/PersistentEntityProjectorUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/support/PersistentEntityProjectorUnitTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2014-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2014-2016 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.
@@ -25,8 +25,10 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.mockito.Mock;
 import org.mockito.runners.MockitoJUnitRunner;
 import org.springframework.data.projection.ProjectionFactory;
+import org.springframework.data.projection.SpelAwareProxyProjectionFactory;
 import org.springframework.data.rest.core.config.ProjectionDefinitionConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.data.rest.core.mapping.ResourceMappings;
+import org.springframework.data.rest.core.mapping.ResourceMetadata;
 
 /**
  * Unit tests for {@link PersistentEntityProjector}.
@@ -36,24 +38,32 @@ import org.springframework.data.rest.core.mapping.ResourceMappings;
 @RunWith(MockitoJUnitRunner.class)
 public class PersistentEntityProjectorUnitTests {
 
-	@Mock ProjectionFactory factory;
 	@Mock ResourceMappings mappings;
+
+	Projector projector;
+	ProjectionFactory factory;
 	ProjectionDefinitionConfiguration configuration;
 
 	@Before
 	public void setUp() {
-		configuration = new ProjectionDefinitionConfiguration();
+
+		this.configuration = new ProjectionDefinitionConfiguration();
+		this.factory = new SpelAwareProxyProjectionFactory();
+		this.projector = new PersistentEntityProjector(configuration, factory, "sample", mappings);
+
+		ResourceMetadata metadata = mock(ResourceMetadata.class);
+		doReturn(metadata).when(mappings).getMetadataFor(Object.class);
+		doReturn(Excerpt.class).when(metadata).getExcerptProjection();
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * @see DATAREST-221
 	 */
 	@Test
-	public void returnsObjectAsIfNoProjectionTypeFound() {
-
-		Projector projector = new PersistentEntityProjector(configuration, factory, "sample", mappings);
+	public void returnsObjectAsIsIfNoProjectionTypeFound() {
 
 		Object object = new Object();
+
 		assertThat(projector.project(object), is(object));
 	}
 
@@ -65,14 +75,42 @@ public class PersistentEntityProjectorUnitTests {
 
 		configuration.addProjection(Sample.class, Object.class);
 
-		Projector projector = new PersistentEntityProjector(configuration, factory, "sample", mappings);
-		Object source = new Object();
-		projector.project(source);
-
-		verify(factory, times(1)).createProjection(Sample.class, source);
+		assertThat(projector.project(new Object()), is(instanceOf(Sample.class)));
 	}
 
-	interface Sample {
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAREST-806
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void favorsExplicitProjectionOverExcerpt() {
 
+		configuration.addProjection(Sample.class, Object.class);
+
+		assertThat(projector.projectExcerpt(new Object()), is(instanceOf(Sample.class)));
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAREST-806
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void excerptProjectionIsUsedForExcerpt() {
+		assertThat(projector.projectExcerpt(new Object()), is(instanceOf(Excerpt.class)));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAREST-806
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void usesExcerptProjectionIfNoExplicitProjectionWasRequested() {
+
+		configuration.addProjection(Sample.class, Object.class);
+
+		PersistentEntityProjector projector = new PersistentEntityProjector(configuration, factory, null, mappings);
+
+		assertThat(projector.projectExcerpt(new Object()), is(instanceOf(Excerpt.class)));
+	}
+
+	interface Sample {}
+
+	interface Excerpt {}
 }