diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/AbstractMessageHandlerFactoryBean.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/AbstractMessageHandlerFactoryBean.java
index a0e2fd3e0e..1d7904aebb 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/AbstractMessageHandlerFactoryBean.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/AbstractMessageHandlerFactoryBean.java
@@ -80,6 +80,10 @@ abstract class AbstractMessageHandlerFactoryBean implements FactoryBean<MessageH
 		this.beanFactory = beanFactory;
 	}
 
+	protected BeanFactory getBeanFactory() {
+		return this.beanFactory;
+	}
+
 	public MessageHandler getObject() throws Exception {
 		if (this.handler == null) {
 			this.initializeHandler();
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/ServiceActivatorFactoryBean.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/ServiceActivatorFactoryBean.java
index a053dbb745..236d1de9c4 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/ServiceActivatorFactoryBean.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/ServiceActivatorFactoryBean.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package org.springframework.integration.config;
 
+import org.springframework.integration.handler.ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor;
 import org.springframework.integration.handler.ServiceActivatingHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
@@ -44,8 +45,9 @@ public class ServiceActivatorFactoryBean extends AbstractMessageHandlerFactoryBe
 
 	@Override
 	MessageHandler createExpressionEvaluatingHandler(String expression) {
-		Class<?> expectedType = null;
-		return this.configureHandler(new ServiceActivatingHandler(expression, expectedType));
+		ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor processor = new ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor(expression);
+		processor.setBeanFactory(this.getBeanFactory());
+		return this.configureHandler(new ServiceActivatingHandler(processor));
 	}
 
 	private ServiceActivatingHandler configureHandler(ServiceActivatingHandler handler) {
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ServiceActivatingHandler.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ServiceActivatingHandler.java
index 8331deff9f..b86dd761c3 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ServiceActivatingHandler.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ServiceActivatingHandler.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package org.springframework.integration.handler;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 
-import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactoryAware;
 import org.springframework.integration.annotation.ServiceActivator;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageHandlingException;
@@ -43,10 +42,8 @@ public class ServiceActivatingHandler extends AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandl
 		this.processor = new MethodInvokingMessageProcessor(object, methodName);
 	}
 
-	public ServiceActivatingHandler(String expression, Class<?> expectedType) {
-		ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor eemp = new ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor(expression);
-		eemp.setExpectedType(expectedType);
-		this.processor = eemp;
+	public ServiceActivatingHandler(AbstractMessageProcessor processor) {
+		this.processor = processor;
 	}
 
 
@@ -58,9 +55,6 @@ public class ServiceActivatingHandler extends AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandl
 	@Override
 	public final void onInit() {
 		this.processor.setConversionService(this.getConversionService());
-		if (this.processor instanceof BeanFactoryAware) {
-			((BeanFactoryAware) this.processor).setBeanFactory(this.getBeanFactory());
-		}
 	}
 
 	@Override