diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterFactoryBean.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterFactoryBean.java
index 99c2abfaae..9da9f5f697 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterFactoryBean.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterFactoryBean.java
@@ -15,12 +15,16 @@ package org.springframework.integration.config;
 
 import java.util.Map;
 
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+
 import org.springframework.expression.Expression;
 import org.springframework.integration.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.router.AbstractMappingMessageRouter;
 import org.springframework.integration.router.ExpressionEvaluatingRouter;
 import org.springframework.integration.router.MethodInvokingRouter;
+import org.springframework.integration.support.channel.ChannelResolver;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
@@ -33,6 +37,8 @@ import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
  * @author Dave Syer
  */
 public class RouterFactoryBean extends AbstractStandardMessageHandlerFactoryBean {
+	
+	private final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(this.getClass());
 
 	private volatile Map<String, String> channelMappings;
 
@@ -45,8 +51,14 @@ public class RouterFactoryBean extends AbstractStandardMessageHandlerFactoryBean
 	private volatile Boolean applySequence;
 
 	private volatile Boolean ignoreSendFailures;
+	
+	private volatile ChannelResolver channelResolver;
 
 
+	public void setChannelResolver(ChannelResolver channelResolver) {
+		this.channelResolver = channelResolver;
+	}
+
 	public void setDefaultOutputChannel(MessageChannel defaultOutputChannel) {
 		this.defaultOutputChannel = defaultOutputChannel;
 	}
@@ -75,6 +87,10 @@ public class RouterFactoryBean extends AbstractStandardMessageHandlerFactoryBean
 	MessageHandler createMethodInvokingHandler(Object targetObject, String targetMethodName) {
 		Assert.notNull(targetObject, "target object must not be null");
 		AbstractMappingMessageRouter router = this.extractTypeIfPossible(targetObject, AbstractMappingMessageRouter.class);
+		if (this.channelResolver != null){
+			logger.warn("'channel-resolver' attribute has been deprecated in favor of using SpEL via 'expression' attribute");
+			router.setChannelResolver(this.channelResolver);
+		}
 		if (router == null) {
 			router = this.createMethodInvokingRouter(targetObject, targetMethodName);
 			this.configureRouter(router);
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractRouterParser.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractRouterParser.java
index 2923617092..f105dbe78c 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractRouterParser.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractRouterParser.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractRouterParser extends AbstractConsumerEndpointParse
 		IntegrationNamespaceUtils.setValueIfAttributeDefined(builder, element, "resolution-required");
 		IntegrationNamespaceUtils.setValueIfAttributeDefined(builder, element, "apply-sequence");
 		IntegrationNamespaceUtils.setValueIfAttributeDefined(builder, element, "ignore-send-failures");
+		IntegrationNamespaceUtils.setReferenceIfAttributeDefined(builder, element, "channel-resolver");
 		BeanDefinition targetRouterBeanDefinition = this.parseRouter(element, parserContext);
 		builder.addPropertyValue("targetObject", targetRouterBeanDefinition);
 		return builder;
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/AbstractMappingMessageRouter.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/AbstractMappingMessageRouter.java
index 69229406fa..3aa4da1e86 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/AbstractMappingMessageRouter.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/AbstractMappingMessageRouter.java
@@ -68,9 +68,12 @@ public abstract class AbstractMappingMessageRouter extends AbstractMessageRouter
 	}
 
 	/**
+	 * @deprecated - since 2.1 in favor of using SpEL via 'expression' attribute
+	 * 
 	 * Specify the {@link ChannelResolver} strategy to use.
 	 * The default is a BeanFactoryChannelResolver.
 	 */
+	@Deprecated
 	public void setChannelResolver(ChannelResolver channelResolver) {
 		Assert.notNull(channelResolver, "'channelResolver' must not be null");
 		this.channelResolver = channelResolver;
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-2.1.xsd b/spring-integration-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-2.1.xsd
index eef12d7d03..1610a4e171 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-2.1.xsd
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/resources/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-2.1.xsd
@@ -2869,6 +2869,20 @@ endpoint itself is a Polling Consumer for a channel with a queue.
 				</xsd:documentation>
 			</xsd:annotation>
 		</xsd:attribute>
+		<xsd:attribute name="channel-resolver" type="xsd:string">
+			<xsd:annotation>
+				<xsd:documentation><![CDATA[
+[DEPRECATED]Provides a reference to a ChannelResolver that resolves the return value
+to the name of a MessageChannel within the application context. If none
+is provided, the return value is expected to match a channel name exactly.
+						]]></xsd:documentation>
+				<xsd:appinfo>
+					<tool:annotation kind="ref">
+						<tool:expected-type type="org.springframework.integration.core.ChannelResolver" />
+					</tool:annotation>
+				</xsd:appinfo>
+			</xsd:annotation>
+		</xsd:attribute>
 		<xsd:attribute name="ignore-send-failures" default="false">
 			<xsd:annotation>
 				<xsd:documentation><![CDATA[
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/PayloadTypeRouterParserTests-context.xml b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/PayloadTypeRouterParserTests-context.xml
index 41a7d2edc3..90fe5e6449 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/PayloadTypeRouterParserTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/PayloadTypeRouterParserTests-context.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 	</channel>
 	
 	<channel id="routingChannel" />
-	<payload-type-router input-channel="routingChannel">
+	<payload-type-router id="routerWithChannelResolver" input-channel="routingChannel" channel-resolver="cr">
 		<mapping type="java.lang.String" channel="channel1" />
 		<mapping type="java.lang.Integer" channel="channel2" />
 		<mapping type="java.lang.Number[]" channel="channel3" />
@@ -32,4 +32,5 @@
 		service-interface="org.springframework.integration.router.config.PayloadTypeRouterParserTests$TestService"
 		default-request-channel="routingChannel" />
 
+	<beans:bean id="cr" class="org.springframework.integration.router.config.PayloadTypeRouterParserTests.MyChannelResolver"/>
 </beans:beans>
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/PayloadTypeRouterParserTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/PayloadTypeRouterParserTests.java
index ab2da2c1a2..5cb8ab5c0d 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/PayloadTypeRouterParserTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/PayloadTypeRouterParserTests.java
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 
 package org.springframework.integration.router.config;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
-
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -31,10 +29,16 @@ import org.springframework.context.support.GenericApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.core.io.InputStreamResource;
 import org.springframework.integration.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.PollableChannel;
+import org.springframework.integration.endpoint.EventDrivenConsumer;
 import org.springframework.integration.support.MessageBuilder;
+import org.springframework.integration.support.channel.BeanFactoryChannelResolver;
+import org.springframework.integration.test.util.TestUtils;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
 /**
  * @author Oleg Zhurakousky
  */
@@ -67,6 +71,9 @@ public class PayloadTypeRouterParserTests {
 		assertTrue(chanel2.receive(100).getPayload() instanceof Integer);	
 		assertTrue(chanel3.receive(100).getPayload().getClass().isArray());	
 		assertTrue(chanel4.receive(100).getPayload().getClass().isArray());
+		
+		EventDrivenConsumer edc = context.getBean("routerWithChannelResolver", EventDrivenConsumer.class);
+		assertEquals(context.getBean("cr"), TestUtils.getPropertyValue(edc, "handler.channelResolver"));
 	}
 
 	@Test(expected=BeanDefinitionStoreException.class)
@@ -110,4 +117,5 @@ public class PayloadTypeRouterParserTests {
 		public void foo(Message<?> message);
 	}
 
+	public static class MyChannelResolver extends BeanFactoryChannelResolver{}
 }
diff --git a/spring-integration-xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java b/spring-integration-xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java
index 7096faef01..b534c8b515 100644
--- a/spring-integration-xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import org.springframework.integration.endpoint.EventDrivenConsumer;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.GenericMessage;
 import org.springframework.integration.router.AbstractMappingMessageRouter;
 import org.springframework.integration.support.MessageBuilder;
+import org.springframework.integration.support.channel.BeanFactoryChannelResolver;
 import org.springframework.integration.test.util.TestUtils;
 import org.springframework.integration.xml.DefaultXmlPayloadConverter;
 import org.springframework.integration.xml.util.XmlTestUtil;
@@ -265,5 +266,7 @@ public class XPathRouterParserTests {
 			return super.convertToDocument(object);
 		}
 	}
+	
+	public static class MyChannelResolver extends BeanFactoryChannelResolver{}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-integration-xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterTests-context.xml b/spring-integration-xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterTests-context.xml
index 3d10a5b118..f49ebf4593 100644
--- a/spring-integration-xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-integration-xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterTests-context.xml
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@
 		<int-xml:mapping value="channelB" channel="channelA"/>	
 	</int-xml:xpath-router>
 
-	<int-xml:xpath-router id="xpathRouterWithCustomConverter" input-channel="customConverterChannel" evaluate-as-string="true" converter="testConverter">
+	<int-xml:xpath-router id="xpathRouterWithCustomConverter" 
+		input-channel="customConverterChannel" evaluate-as-string="true" 
+		converter="testConverter" channel-resolver="cr">
 		<int-xml:xpath-expression expression="/name"/>
 	</int-xml:xpath-router>
 	
@@ -44,4 +46,5 @@
 
 	<bean id="testConverter" class="org.springframework.integration.xml.config.XPathRouterParserTests$TestXmlPayloadConverter"/>
 
+	<bean id="cr" class="org.springframework.integration.xml.config.XPathRouterParserTests.MyChannelResolver"/>
 </beans>