diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/util/MessagingMethodInvokerHelper.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/util/MessagingMethodInvokerHelper.java
index 4735861db2..2e2462d3ac 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/util/MessagingMethodInvokerHelper.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/util/MessagingMethodInvokerHelper.java
@@ -308,46 +308,10 @@ public class MessagingMethodInvokerHelper<T> extends AbstractExpressionEvaluator
 	}
 
 	public T process(Message<?> message) throws Exception {
-		Message<?> messageToProcess = possiblyConvert(message);
-		ParametersWrapper parameters = new ParametersWrapper(messageToProcess);
+		ParametersWrapper parameters = new ParametersWrapper(message);
 		return processInternal(parameters);
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * If there's a single method, the content is JSON, the payload is a
-	 * String or byte[], the parameter doesn't match the payload,
-	 * and there is a Json Object Mapper on the CP,
-	 * convert.
-	 */
-	private Message<?> possiblyConvert(Message<?> message) throws Exception {
-		if (this.handlerMethod != null && this.handlerMethod.getTargetParameterType() != null &&
-				this.jsonObjectMapper != null) {
-			Class<?> type = this.handlerMethod.getTargetParameterType();
-			if ((message.getPayload() instanceof String && !type.equals(String.class)
-					|| message.getPayload() instanceof byte[] && !type.equals(byte[].class))
-					&& contentTypeIsJson(message)) {
-
-				try {
-					return getMessageBuilderFactory()
-							.withPayload(this.jsonObjectMapper.fromJson(message.getPayload(), type))
-							.copyHeaders(message.getHeaders())
-							.build();
-				}
-				catch (Exception e) {
-					if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-						logger.debug("Failed to convert from JSON", e);
-					}
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		return message;
-	}
-
-	private boolean contentTypeIsJson(Message<?> message) {
-		Object contentType = message.getHeaders().get(MessageHeaders.CONTENT_TYPE);
-		return contentType != null && contentType.toString().contains("json");
-	}
-
 	public T process(Collection<Message<?>> messages, Map<String, Object> headers) throws Exception {
 		ParametersWrapper parameters = new ParametersWrapper(messages, headers);
 		return processInternal(parameters);
@@ -645,6 +609,8 @@ public class MessagingMethodInvokerHelper<T> extends AbstractExpressionEvaluator
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	private T invokeExpression(Expression expression, ParametersWrapper parameters) throws Exception {
 		try {
+
+			convertJsonPayloadIfNecessary(parameters);
 			return (T) evaluateExpression(expression, parameters);
 		}
 		catch (Exception e) {
@@ -662,6 +628,52 @@ public class MessagingMethodInvokerHelper<T> extends AbstractExpressionEvaluator
 		}
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * If there's a single method, it is SpEL only, the content is JSON,
+	 * the payload is a String or byte[], the parameter doesn't match the payload,
+	 * and there is a Json Object Mapper on the CP, convert.
+	 */
+	private void convertJsonPayloadIfNecessary(ParametersWrapper parameters) {
+		if (parameters.message != null &&
+				this.handlerMethod != null &&
+				this.handlerMethod.exclusiveMethodParameter != null &&
+				this.jsonObjectMapper != null) {
+
+			Class<?> type = this.handlerMethod.targetParameterType;
+			if ((parameters.getPayload() instanceof String && !type.equals(String.class)
+					|| parameters.getPayload() instanceof byte[] && !type.equals(byte[].class))
+					&& contentTypeIsJson(parameters.message)) {
+
+				try {
+					Object targetPayload = this.jsonObjectMapper.fromJson(parameters.getPayload(), type);
+
+					if (this.handlerMethod.targetParameterTypeDescriptor.isAssignableTo(messageTypeDescriptor)) {
+						parameters.message =
+								getMessageBuilderFactory()
+										.withPayload(targetPayload)
+										.copyHeaders(parameters.getHeaders())
+										.build();
+					}
+					else {
+						parameters.payload = targetPayload;
+					}
+
+
+				}
+				catch (Exception e) {
+					if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+						logger.debug("Failed to convert from JSON", e);
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	private boolean contentTypeIsJson(Message<?> message) {
+		Object contentType = message.getHeaders().get(MessageHeaders.CONTENT_TYPE);
+		return contentType != null && contentType.toString().contains("json");
+	}
+
 	private Map<String, Map<Class<?>, HandlerMethod>> findHandlerMethodsForTarget(final Object targetObject,
 			final Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType, final String methodName, final boolean requiresReply) {
 
@@ -1013,6 +1025,8 @@ public class MessagingMethodInvokerHelper<T> extends AbstractExpressionEvaluator
 
 		private volatile Class<?> targetParameterType = Void.class;
 
+		private MethodParameter exclusiveMethodParameter;
+
 		private volatile boolean messageMethod;
 
 		private volatile boolean spelOnly;
@@ -1220,6 +1234,7 @@ public class MessagingMethodInvokerHelper<T> extends AbstractExpressionEvaluator
 
 		private void setExclusiveTargetParameterType(TypeDescriptor targetParameterType,
 				MethodParameter methodParameter) {
+
 			if (this.targetParameterTypeDescriptor != null) {
 				throw new IneligibleMethodException("Found more than one parameter type candidate: [" +
 						this.targetParameterTypeDescriptor + "] and [" + targetParameterType + "]");
@@ -1233,18 +1248,20 @@ public class MessagingMethodInvokerHelper<T> extends AbstractExpressionEvaluator
 			else {
 				this.targetParameterType = targetParameterType.getObjectType();
 			}
+
+			this.exclusiveMethodParameter = methodParameter;
 		}
 	}
 
 	public static class ParametersWrapper {
 
-		private final Object payload;
-
 		private final Collection<Message<?>> messages;
 
 		private final Map<String, Object> headers;
 
-		private final Message<?> message;
+		private Message<?> message;
+
+		private Object payload;
 
 		ParametersWrapper(Message<?> message) {
 			this.message = message;
@@ -1254,10 +1271,8 @@ public class MessagingMethodInvokerHelper<T> extends AbstractExpressionEvaluator
 		}
 
 		ParametersWrapper(Collection<Message<?>> messages, Map<String, Object> headers) {
-			this.payload = null;
 			this.messages = messages;
 			this.headers = headers;
-			this.message = null;
 		}
 
 		/**
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingMessageProcessorTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingMessageProcessorTests.java
index b6925af60b..c3654dd7eb 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingMessageProcessorTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingMessageProcessorTests.java
@@ -1017,7 +1017,12 @@ public class MethodInvokingMessageProcessorTests {
 		ObjectMapper objectMapper = new ObjectMapper();
 		byte[] value = objectMapper.writeValueAsBytes(testData);
 
-		String result = (String) processor.processMessage(new GenericMessage<>(value));
+		Message<?> testMessage =
+				MessageBuilder.withPayload(value)
+						.setHeader(MessageHeaders.CONTENT_TYPE, "application/json")
+						.build();
+
+		String result = (String) processor.processMessage(testMessage);
 
 		assertEquals("Foo,Bar", result);
 	}