diff --git a/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java b/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
index 060c78a902..b1d6a5fd0b 100755
--- a/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
+++ b/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler.java
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ public class HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends AbstractReplyProducingMe
 	private volatile Class<?> expectedResponseType;
 
 	private volatile boolean extractPayload = true;
+	
+	private volatile boolean extractPayloadExplicitlySet = false;
 
 	private volatile String charset = "UTF-8";
 
@@ -93,7 +95,7 @@ public class HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends AbstractReplyProducingMe
 	private final RestTemplate restTemplate;
 
 	private final StandardEvaluationContext evaluationContext;
-
+	
 
 	/**
 	 * Create a handler that will send requests to the provided URI.
@@ -139,6 +141,7 @@ public class HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends AbstractReplyProducingMe
 	 */
 	public void setExtractPayload(boolean extractPayload) {
 		this.extractPayload = extractPayload;
+		this.extractPayloadExplicitlySet = true;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -223,6 +226,12 @@ public class HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler extends AbstractReplyProducingMe
 		if (conversionService != null) {
 			this.evaluationContext.setTypeConverter(new StandardTypeConverter(conversionService));
 		}
+		if (!this.shouldIncludeRequestBody() && this.extractPayloadExplicitlySet){
+			if (logger.isWarnEnabled()){
+				logger.warn("The 'extractPayload' attribute has no meaning in the context of this handler since the provided HTTP Method is '" + 
+			           this.httpMethod + "', and no request body will be sent for that method.");
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/spring-integration-http/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandlerTests.java b/spring-integration-http/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandlerTests.java
index 66c9be27b8..de03d2ff01 100644
--- a/spring-integration-http/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandlerTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-http/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/http/outbound/HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandlerTests.java
@@ -530,6 +530,35 @@ public class HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandlerTests {
 		assertEquals(MediaType.TEXT_XML, request.getHeaders().getContentType());
 	}
 	
+	@Test // no asertions just a warn message in a log
+	public void testWarnMessageForNonPostPutAndExtractPayload() throws Exception {
+		// should see a warn message
+		
+		HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler handler = new HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler("http://www.springsource.org/spring-integration");
+		MockRestTemplate template = new MockRestTemplate();
+		new DirectFieldAccessor(handler).setPropertyValue("restTemplate", template);
+		handler.setHttpMethod(HttpMethod.GET);
+		handler.setExtractPayload(true);
+		handler.afterPropertiesSet();
+		
+		// should not see  a warn message since 'setExtractPayload' is not set explicitly
+		
+		handler = new HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler("http://www.springsource.org/spring-integration");
+		template = new MockRestTemplate();
+		new DirectFieldAccessor(handler).setPropertyValue("restTemplate", template);
+		handler.setHttpMethod(HttpMethod.GET);
+		handler.afterPropertiesSet();
+		
+		// should not see  a warn message since HTTP method is not GET
+		
+		handler = new HttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler("http://www.springsource.org/spring-integration");
+		template = new MockRestTemplate();
+		new DirectFieldAccessor(handler).setPropertyValue("restTemplate", template);
+		handler.setHttpMethod(HttpMethod.POST);
+		handler.setExtractPayload(true);
+		handler.afterPropertiesSet();
+	}
+	
 	@Test
 	public void contentTypeIsNotSetForGetRequest() throws Exception {
 		//GET