diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/event/ApplicationEventTargetTests.java b/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/event/ApplicationEventTargetTests.java
index 3bb2553c35..9cafea7fad 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/event/ApplicationEventTargetTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/event/ApplicationEventTargetTests.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package org.springframework.integration.adapter.event;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEventPublisher;
 import org.springframework.integration.bus.DefaultMessageBus;
 import org.springframework.integration.bus.MessageBus;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.MessageChannel;
-import org.springframework.integration.channel.QueueChannel;
+import org.springframework.integration.dispatcher.DirectChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.StringMessage;
 
 /**
@@ -45,7 +44,7 @@ public class ApplicationEventTargetTests {
 				latch.countDown();
 			}
 		};
-		MessageChannel channel = new QueueChannel();
+		MessageChannel channel = new DirectChannel();
 		ApplicationEventTarget adapter = new ApplicationEventTarget();
 		adapter.setApplicationEventPublisher(publisher);
 		MessageBus bus = new DefaultMessageBus();
@@ -54,7 +53,6 @@ public class ApplicationEventTargetTests {
 		bus.start();
 		assertEquals(1, latch.getCount());
 		channel.send(new StringMessage("123", "testing"));
-		latch.await(100, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
 		assertEquals(0, latch.getCount());
 		bus.stop();
 	}
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/DefaultMessageHeader.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/DefaultMessageHeader.java
index 8ef60fb33b..a48244839d 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/DefaultMessageHeader.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/DefaultMessageHeader.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
  */
 public class DefaultMessageHeader implements MessageHeader, Serializable {
 
-	private final Date timestamp = new Date();
+	private final long timestamp = System.currentTimeMillis();
 
 	private volatile Date expiration;
 
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ public class DefaultMessageHeader implements MessageHeader, Serializable {
 
 
 	/**
-	 * Return the creation time of this message.  
+	 * Return the creation time of this message (in milliseconds).  
 	 */
-	public Date getTimestamp() {
+	public long getTimestamp() {
 		return this.timestamp;
 	}
 
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageHeader.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageHeader.java
index 48651bdeaa..b829a21355 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageHeader.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageHeader.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import java.util.Set;
  */
 public interface MessageHeader {
 
-	Date getTimestamp();
+	long getTimestamp();
 
 	Date getExpiration();
 
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/interceptor/WireTapTests.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/interceptor/WireTapTests.java
index 20680015e4..15c54ee1a2 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/interceptor/WireTapTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/interceptor/WireTapTests.java
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public class WireTapTests {
 		Message<?> original = mainChannel.receive(0);
 		Message<?> duplicate = secondaryChannel.receive(0);
 		assertTrue("original timestamp should precede duplicate",
-				original.getHeader().getTimestamp().before(duplicate.getHeader().getTimestamp()));
+				original.getHeader().getTimestamp() < duplicate.getHeader().getTimestamp());
 	}
 
 	public void testDuplicateMessageContainsAttribute() {