diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java
index c0882be442..53519dbcd4 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java
@@ -261,6 +261,9 @@ public class DefaultMessageEndpoint implements MessageEndpoint, ChannelRegistryA
 		try {
 			Message<?> replyMessage = this.handler.handle(message);
 			if (replyMessage != null) {
+				if (replyMessage.getHeader().getCorrelationId() == null) {
+					replyMessage.getHeader().setCorrelationId(message.getId());
+				}
 				this.replyHandler.handle(replyMessage, message.getHeader());
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpointTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpointTests.java
index d83b32f8ec..45518e631e 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpointTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpointTests.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.integration.endpoint;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
@@ -521,6 +522,41 @@ public class DefaultMessageEndpointTests {
 		assertEquals(message2, ((MessageDeliveryException) error).getUndeliveredMessage());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testCorrelationId() {
+		SimpleChannel replyChannel = new SimpleChannel(1);
+		DefaultMessageEndpoint endpoint = new DefaultMessageEndpoint(new MessageHandler() {
+			public Message<?> handle(Message<?> message) {
+				return message;
+			}
+		});
+		endpoint.start();
+		Message<?> message = new StringMessage("test");
+		message.getHeader().setReturnAddress(replyChannel);
+		endpoint.handle(message);
+		Message<?> reply = replyChannel.receive(500);
+		assertEquals(message.getId(), reply.getHeader().getCorrelationId());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testCorrelationIdSetByHandlerTakesPrecedence() {
+		SimpleChannel replyChannel = new SimpleChannel(1);
+		DefaultMessageEndpoint endpoint = new DefaultMessageEndpoint(new MessageHandler() {
+			public Message<?> handle(Message<?> message) {
+				message.getHeader().setCorrelationId("ABC-123");
+				return message;
+			}
+		});
+		endpoint.start();
+		Message<?> message = new StringMessage("test");
+		message.getHeader().setReturnAddress(replyChannel);
+		endpoint.handle(message);
+		Message<?> reply = replyChannel.receive(500);
+		Object correlationId = reply.getHeader().getCorrelationId();
+		assertFalse(message.getId().equals(correlationId));
+		assertEquals("ABC-123", correlationId);
+	}
+
 
 	private static ExecutorService createExecutor() {
 		return new ThreadPoolExecutor(1, 1, 60, TimeUnit.SECONDS, new SynchronousQueue<Runnable>());