diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/DefaultMessageMapper.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/DefaultMessageMapper.java
index 2a7fce2bdb..9174d896e0 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/DefaultMessageMapper.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/DefaultMessageMapper.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageBuilder;
  * 
  * @author Mark Fisher
  */
-public class DefaultMessageMapper implements MessageMapper {
+public class DefaultMessageMapper implements MessageMapper<Object> {
 
 	/**
 	 * Returns the Message payload (or null if the Message is null).
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/MessageMapper.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/MessageMapper.java
index 31b9d48ffc..03f6c1969d 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/MessageMapper.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/MessageMapper.java
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ import org.springframework.integration.message.Message;
  * 
  * @author Mark Fisher
  */
-public interface MessageMapper {
+public interface MessageMapper<T> {
 
-	Message<?> toMessage(Object object);
+	Message<?> toMessage(T object);
 
-	Object fromMessage(Message<?> message);
+	T fromMessage(Message<?> message);
 
 }
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/SimpleMessagingGateway.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/SimpleMessagingGateway.java
index 9a352d6e63..0e62c43a02 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/SimpleMessagingGateway.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/SimpleMessagingGateway.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ public class SimpleMessagingGateway extends AbstractMessagingGateway {
 	private volatile MessageMapper messageMapper = new DefaultMessageMapper();
 
 
-	public void setMessageMapper(MessageMapper messageMapper) {
+	public void setMessageMapper(MessageMapper<?> messageMapper) {
 		Assert.notNull(messageMapper, "messageMapper must not be null");
 		this.messageMapper = (messageMapper != null)
 				? messageMapper : new DefaultMessageMapper();
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/config/TestMessageMapper.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/config/TestMessageMapper.java
index 628b9ba06b..b216bff50d 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/config/TestMessageMapper.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/config/TestMessageMapper.java
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@ import org.springframework.integration.message.StringMessage;
 /**
  * @author Mark Fisher
  */
-public class TestMessageMapper implements MessageMapper {
+public class TestMessageMapper implements MessageMapper<String> {
 
-	public Message<?> toMessage(Object object) {
+	public Message<?> toMessage(String object) {
 		return new StringMessage("pre." + object);
 	}
 
-	public Object fromMessage(Message<?> message) {
+	public String fromMessage(Message<?> message) {
 		return message.getPayload().toString() + ".post";
 	}