diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/ChannelAdapterParser.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/ChannelAdapterParser.java
index 3f08501cc6..39a165c716 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/ChannelAdapterParser.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/ChannelAdapterParser.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionHolder;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionBuilder;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionReaderUtils;
-import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionRegistry;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.AbstractBeanDefinitionParser;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.ParserContext;
 import org.springframework.integration.ConfigurationException;
@@ -68,7 +67,10 @@ public class ChannelAdapterParser extends AbstractBeanDefinitionParser {
 				throw new ConfigurationException("both 'source' and 'target' are not allowed, provide only one");
 			}
 			if (StringUtils.hasText(methodName)) {
-				source = parseMethodInvokingAdapter(source, methodName, MethodInvokingSource.class, parserContext.getRegistry());
+				BeanDefinitionBuilder invokerBuilder = BeanDefinitionBuilder.genericBeanDefinition(MethodInvokingSource.class);
+				invokerBuilder.addPropertyReference("object", source);
+				invokerBuilder.addPropertyValue("methodName", methodName);
+				source = BeanDefinitionReaderUtils.registerWithGeneratedName(invokerBuilder.getBeanDefinition(), parserContext.getRegistry());
 			}
 			adapterBuilder =  BeanDefinitionBuilder.genericBeanDefinition(InboundChannelAdapter.class);
 			if (pollerElement != null) {
@@ -88,7 +90,10 @@ public class ChannelAdapterParser extends AbstractBeanDefinitionParser {
 		}
 		else if (StringUtils.hasText(target)) {
 			if (StringUtils.hasText(methodName)) {
-				target = this.parseMethodInvokingAdapter(target, methodName, MethodInvokingTarget.class, parserContext.getRegistry());
+				BeanDefinitionBuilder invokerBuilder = BeanDefinitionBuilder.genericBeanDefinition(MethodInvokingTarget.class);
+				invokerBuilder.addConstructorArgReference(target);
+				invokerBuilder.addConstructorArgValue(methodName);
+				target = BeanDefinitionReaderUtils.registerWithGeneratedName(invokerBuilder.getBeanDefinition(), parserContext.getRegistry());
 			}
 			adapterBuilder =  BeanDefinitionBuilder.genericBeanDefinition(OutboundChannelAdapter.class);
 			adapterBuilder.addPropertyReference("target", target);
@@ -113,13 +118,6 @@ public class ChannelAdapterParser extends AbstractBeanDefinitionParser {
 		return adapterBuilder.getBeanDefinition();
 	}
 
-	private String parseMethodInvokingAdapter(String objectRef, String methodName, Class<?> type, BeanDefinitionRegistry registry) {
-		BeanDefinitionBuilder builder = BeanDefinitionBuilder.genericBeanDefinition(type);
-		builder.addPropertyReference("object", objectRef);
-		builder.addPropertyValue("methodName", methodName);
-		return BeanDefinitionReaderUtils.registerWithGeneratedName(builder.getBeanDefinition(), registry);
-	}
-
 	private String createDirectChannel(Element element, ParserContext parserContext) {
 		String channelId = element.getAttribute("id");
 		if (!StringUtils.hasText(channelId)) {
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/TargetAnnotationPostProcessor.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/TargetAnnotationPostProcessor.java
index 71b496618c..2b8cafe523 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/TargetAnnotationPostProcessor.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/TargetAnnotationPostProcessor.java
@@ -47,9 +47,7 @@ public class TargetAnnotationPostProcessor extends AbstractAnnotationMethodPostP
 
 
 	protected MessageTarget processMethod(Object bean, Method method, Annotation annotation) {
-		MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget();
-		target.setObject(bean);
-		target.setMethod(method);
+		MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget(bean, method);
 		ChannelAdapter channelAdapterAnnotation = AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(bean.getClass(), ChannelAdapter.class);
 		if (channelAdapterAnnotation != null) {
 			OutboundChannelAdapter adapter = new OutboundChannelAdapter();
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingTarget.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingTarget.java
index c9bf46959e..1a147ba221 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingTarget.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingTarget.java
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
 
 package org.springframework.integration.handler;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+
 import org.springframework.integration.message.Message;
+import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageMappingMethodInvoker;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageTarget;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessagingException;
 
@@ -25,30 +28,24 @@ import org.springframework.integration.message.MessagingException;
  * 
  * @author Mark Fisher
  */
-public class MethodInvokingTarget extends AbstractMessageHandler implements MessageTarget {
+public class MethodInvokingTarget extends MessageMappingMethodInvoker implements MessageTarget {
+
+	public MethodInvokingTarget(Object object, Method method) {
+		super(object, method);
+	}
+
+	public MethodInvokingTarget(Object object, String methodName) {
+		super(object, methodName);
+	}
+
 
 	public boolean send(Message<?> message) {
-		this.handle(message);
+		Object result = this.invokeMethod(message);
+		if (result != null) {
+			throw new MessagingException(message, "the MethodInvokingTarget method must have a void or null return, "
+					+ "but '" + this + "' received a non-null value: [" + result + "]");			
+		}
 		return true;
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	protected Message<?> createReplyMessage(Object result, Message<?> requestMessage) {
-		this.failIfNotNull(result, requestMessage);
-		return null;
-	}
-
-	@Override
-	protected Message<?> postProcessReplyMessage(Message<?> replyMessage, Message<?> requestMessage) {
-		this.failIfNotNull(replyMessage, requestMessage);
-		return null;
-	}
-
-	private void failIfNotNull(Object result, Message<?> requestMessage) {
-		if (result != null) {
-			throw new MessagingException(requestMessage, "the MethodInvokingTarget method must have a void or null return, "
-					+ "but '" + this + "' received a non-null value: [" + result + "]");
-		}
-	}
-
 }
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingTargetTests.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingTargetTests.java
index 9fe71d1f55..9567acfe3c 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingTargetTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingTargetTests.java
@@ -44,9 +44,7 @@ public class MethodInvokingTargetTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testValidMethod() {
-		MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget();
-		target.setObject(new TestSink());
-		target.setMethodName("validMethod");
+		MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget(new TestSink(), "validMethod");
 		target.afterPropertiesSet();
 		boolean result = target.send(new GenericMessage<String>("test"));
 		assertTrue(result);
@@ -54,9 +52,7 @@ public class MethodInvokingTargetTests {
 
 	@Test(expected = ConfigurationException.class)
 	public void testInvalidMethodWithNoArgs() {
-		MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget();
-		target.setObject(new TestSink());
-		target.setMethodName("invalidMethodWithNoArgs");
+		MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget(new TestSink(), "invalidMethodWithNoArgs");
 		target.afterPropertiesSet();
 	}
 
@@ -64,9 +60,7 @@ public class MethodInvokingTargetTests {
 	public void testMethodWithReturnValue() {
 		Message<?> message = new StringMessage("test");
 		try {
-			MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget();
-			target.setObject(new TestSink());
-			target.setMethodName("methodWithReturnValue");
+			MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget(new TestSink(), "methodWithReturnValue");
 			target.afterPropertiesSet();
 			target.send(message);
 		}
@@ -78,9 +72,7 @@ public class MethodInvokingTargetTests {
 
 	@Test(expected = ConfigurationException.class)
 	public void testNoMatchingMethodName() {
-		MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget();
-		target.setObject(new TestSink());
-		target.setMethodName("noSuchMethod");
+		MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget(new TestSink(), "noSuchMethod");
 		target.afterPropertiesSet();
 	}
 
@@ -88,9 +80,7 @@ public class MethodInvokingTargetTests {
 	public void testSubscription() throws Exception {
 		SynchronousQueue<String> queue = new SynchronousQueue<String>();
 		TestBean testBean = new TestBean(queue);
-		MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget();
-		target.setObject(testBean);
-		target.setMethodName("foo");
+		MethodInvokingTarget target = new MethodInvokingTarget(testBean, "foo");
 		target.afterPropertiesSet();
 		QueueChannel channel = new QueueChannel();
 		channel.setBeanName("channel");