diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessagingTemplate.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessagingTemplate.java
index b1572d7395..f16ade2362 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessagingTemplate.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessagingTemplate.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.integration.core;
 import org.springframework.beans.BeansException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.integration.support.channel.BeanFactoryChannelResolver;
+import org.springframework.messaging.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.messaging.core.GenericMessagingTemplate;
 
 /**
@@ -27,9 +28,21 @@ import org.springframework.messaging.core.GenericMessagingTemplate;
  */
 public class MessagingTemplate extends GenericMessagingTemplate {
 
+	/**
+	 * Overridden to set the destination resolver to a {@link BeanFactoryChannelResolver}.
+	 */
 	@Override
 	public void setBeanFactory(BeanFactory beanFactory) throws BeansException {
 		super.setDestinationResolver(new BeanFactoryChannelResolver(beanFactory));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Invokes {@link #setDefaultDestination(MessageChannel)} - provided for
+	 * backward compatibility.
+	 * @param channel the channel to set.
+	 */
+	public void setDefaultChannel(MessageChannel channel) {
+		super.setDefaultDestination(channel);
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/channel/BeanFactoryChannelResolver.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/channel/BeanFactoryChannelResolver.java
index c47d93b85a..4ebce0b8d7 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/channel/BeanFactoryChannelResolver.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/channel/BeanFactoryChannelResolver.java
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  * <p>Will lookup Spring managed beans identified by bean name,
  * expecting them to be of type {@link MessageChannel}.
  *
+ * Consults a {@link HeaderChannelRegistry}, if available, if the bean is not found.
+ *
  * @author Mark Fisher
  * @author Gary Russell
  *