diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/SourceInvoker.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/SourceInvoker.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0d433c2eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/SourceInvoker.java
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2008 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.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.integration.message;
+
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+
+/**
+ * A helper class for receiving {@link Message}s from a {@link MessageSource}.
+ * 
+ * @author Mark Fisher
+ */
+public class SourceInvoker {
+
+	private final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(this.getClass());
+
+
+	public Message<?> invoke(MessageSource<?> source, long timeout) {
+		Message<?> message = (source instanceof BlockingSource && timeout >= 0)
+				? ((BlockingSource<?>) source).receive(timeout)
+				: source.receive();
+		if (message == null && this.logger.isTraceEnabled()) {
+			this.logger.trace("failed to receive message from source '" + source + "' within timeout: " + timeout);
+		}
+		return message;
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/TargetInvoker.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/TargetInvoker.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4f45f20363
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/TargetInvoker.java
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2008 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.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.integration.message;
+
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+
+/**
+ * A helper class for sending {@link Message}s to a {@link MessageTarget}.
+ *  
+ * @author Mark Fisher
+ */
+public class TargetInvoker {
+
+	private final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(this.getClass());
+
+
+	public boolean invoke(MessageTarget target, Message<?> message, long timeout) {
+		boolean sent = (target instanceof BlockingTarget && timeout >= 0)
+				? ((BlockingTarget) target).send(message, timeout)
+				: target.send(message);
+		if (!sent && this.logger.isTraceEnabled()) {
+			this.logger.trace("failed to send message to target '" + target + "' within timeout: " + timeout);
+		}
+		return sent;
+	}
+
+}