diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/FileWritingMessageHandler.java b/org.springframework.integration.file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/FileWritingMessageHandler.java
index f33bc9341a..ab2b07d7af 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/FileWritingMessageHandler.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/FileWritingMessageHandler.java
@@ -73,15 +73,19 @@ public class FileWritingMessageHandler implements MessageHandler {
 		Assert.notNull(payload, "message payload must not be null");
 		File file = new File(parentDirectory, this.fileNameGenerator.generateFileName(message));
 		try {
-			if (payload instanceof byte[]) {
-				FileCopyUtils.copy((byte[]) payload, file);
-			}
-			else if (payload instanceof File) {
+			if (payload instanceof File) {
 				FileCopyUtils.copy((File) payload, file);
 			}
-			else {
+			else if (payload instanceof byte[]) {
+				FileCopyUtils.copy((byte[]) payload, file);
+			}
+			else if (payload instanceof String) {
 				OutputStreamWriter writer = new OutputStreamWriter(new FileOutputStream(file), this.charset);
-				FileCopyUtils.copy(payload.toString(), writer);
+				FileCopyUtils.copy((String) payload, writer);
+			}
+			else {
+				throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+						"unsupported Message payload type [" + payload.getClass().getName() + "]");
 			}
 		}
 		catch (Exception e) {
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/FileWritingMessageHandlerTests.java b/org.springframework.integration.file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/FileWritingMessageHandlerTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5c0ca009e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/FileWritingMessageHandlerTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*
+ * 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.file;
+
+import java.io.File;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import org.springframework.integration.message.GenericMessage;
+import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageHandlingException;
+
+/**
+ * @author Mark Fisher
+ */
+public class FileWritingMessageHandlerTests {
+
+	@Test(expected = MessageHandlingException.class)
+	public void unsupportedType() {
+		FileWritingMessageHandler handler = new FileWritingMessageHandler(
+				new File(System.getProperty("java.io.tmpdir")));
+		handler.handleMessage(new GenericMessage<Integer>(99));
+	}
+
+}