diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/DispatcherServlet.java b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/DispatcherServlet.java
index b1d9f85242..3a11cf8c78 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/DispatcherServlet.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/DispatcherServlet.java
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ import org.springframework.web.util.WebUtils;
  * @author Rob Harrop
  * @author Chris Beams
  * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
+ * @author Sebastien Deleuze
  * @see org.springframework.web.HttpRequestHandler
  * @see org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.Controller
  * @see org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener
@@ -280,20 +281,9 @@ public class DispatcherServlet extends FrameworkServlet {
 	/** Additional logger to use when no mapped handler is found for a request. */
 	protected static final Log pageNotFoundLogger = LogFactory.getLog(PAGE_NOT_FOUND_LOG_CATEGORY);
 
-	private static final Properties defaultStrategies;
-
-	static {
-		// Load default strategy implementations from properties file.
-		// This is currently strictly internal and not meant to be customized
-		// by application developers.
-		try {
-			ClassPathResource resource = new ClassPathResource(DEFAULT_STRATEGIES_PATH, DispatcherServlet.class);
-			defaultStrategies = PropertiesLoaderUtils.loadProperties(resource);
-		}
-		catch (IOException ex) {
-			throw new IllegalStateException("Could not load '" + DEFAULT_STRATEGIES_PATH + "': " + ex.getMessage());
-		}
-	}
+	/** Store default strategy implementations. */
+	@Nullable
+	private static Properties defaultStrategies;
 
 	/** Detect all HandlerMappings or just expect "handlerMapping" bean?. */
 	private boolean detectAllHandlerMappings = true;
@@ -869,6 +859,19 @@ public class DispatcherServlet extends FrameworkServlet {
 	 */
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	protected <T> List<T> getDefaultStrategies(ApplicationContext context, Class<T> strategyInterface) {
+		if (defaultStrategies == null) {
+			try {
+				// Load default strategy implementations from properties file.
+				// This is currently strictly internal and not meant to be customized
+				// by application developers.
+				ClassPathResource resource = new ClassPathResource(DEFAULT_STRATEGIES_PATH, DispatcherServlet.class);
+				defaultStrategies = PropertiesLoaderUtils.loadProperties(resource);
+			}
+			catch (IOException ex) {
+				throw new IllegalStateException("Could not load '" + DEFAULT_STRATEGIES_PATH + "': " + ex.getMessage());
+			}
+		}
+
 		String key = strategyInterface.getName();
 		String value = defaultStrategies.getProperty(key);
 		if (value != null) {