diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/aws/outbound/S3MessageHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/aws/outbound/S3MessageHandler.java
index 180a7a3..c33a021 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/aws/outbound/S3MessageHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/aws/outbound/S3MessageHandler.java
@@ -367,11 +367,6 @@ public class S3MessageHandler extends AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler {
 				throw new MessageHandlingException(requestMessage, e);
 			}
 
-
-			Assert.state(key != null,
-					"The 'keyExpression' must not be null for non-File payloads and can't evaluate to null. " +
-							"Root object is: " + requestMessage);
-
 			if (key == null) {
 				if (this.keyExpression != null) {
 					throw new IllegalStateException("The 'keyExpression' ["
@@ -479,7 +474,8 @@ public class S3MessageHandler extends AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler {
 		}
 
 		Assert.state(sourceKey != null,
-				"The 'keyExpression' must not be null for 'copy' operation and can't evaluate to null. " +
+				"The 'keyExpression' must not be null for 'copy' operation " +
+						"and 'keyExpression' can't evaluate to null. " +
 						"Root object is: " + requestMessage);
 
 		String destinationBucketName = null;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/aws/outbound/S3MessageHandlerTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/aws/outbound/S3MessageHandlerTests.java
index 43014c2..18a4ddc 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/aws/outbound/S3MessageHandlerTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/aws/outbound/S3MessageHandlerTests.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.integration.aws.outbound;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Fail.fail;
 import static org.mockito.BDDMockito.given;
 import static org.mockito.BDDMockito.willAnswer;
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Qualifier;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
 import org.springframework.expression.Expression;
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ import org.springframework.integration.channel.QueueChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.config.EnableIntegration;
 import org.springframework.integration.expression.ValueExpression;
 import org.springframework.integration.support.MessageBuilder;
+import org.springframework.integration.test.util.TestUtils;
 import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
 import org.springframework.messaging.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.messaging.MessageHandler;
@@ -140,6 +143,12 @@ public class S3MessageHandlerTests {
 	@Autowired
 	private PollableChannel s3ReplyChannel;
 
+	@Autowired
+	@Qualifier("s3MessageHandler")
+	private S3MessageHandler s3MessageHandler;
+
+
+
 	@Test
 	public void testUploadFile() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
 		File file = this.temporaryFolder.newFile("foo.mp3");
@@ -184,12 +193,23 @@ public class S3MessageHandlerTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testUploadInputStream() throws IOException {
+		Expression actualKeyExpression = TestUtils.getPropertyValue(this.s3MessageHandler, "keyExpression",
+				Expression.class);
+
+		this.s3MessageHandler.setKeyExpression(null);
+
 		InputStream payload = new StringInputStream("a");
 		Message<?> message = MessageBuilder.withPayload(payload)
 				.setHeader("s3Command", S3MessageHandler.Command.UPLOAD.name())
 				.setHeader("key", "myStream")
 				.build();
 
+		assertThatThrownBy(() -> this.s3SendChannel.send(message))
+				.hasCauseExactlyInstanceOf(IllegalStateException.class)
+				.hasMessageContaining("Specify a 'keyExpression' for non-java.io.File payloads");
+
+		this.s3MessageHandler.setKeyExpression(actualKeyExpression);
+
 		this.s3SendChannel.send(message);
 
 		ArgumentCaptor<PutObjectRequest> putObjectRequestArgumentCaptor =