diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/DefaultMessageBus.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/DefaultMessageBus.java
index ec9d4321e4..bbe5985ae4 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/DefaultMessageBus.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/DefaultMessageBus.java
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ public class DefaultMessageBus implements MessageBus, ApplicationContextAware, A
 
 	private volatile TaskScheduler taskScheduler;
 
+	private volatile ApplicationContext applicationContext;
+
 	private volatile boolean configureAsyncEventMulticaster = false;
 
 	private volatile boolean autoCreateChannels = false;
@@ -127,7 +129,7 @@ public class DefaultMessageBus implements MessageBus, ApplicationContextAware, A
 			throw new ConfigurationException("Only one instance of '" + this.getClass().getSimpleName()
 					+ "' is allowed per ApplicationContext.");
 		}
-		this.registerChannels(applicationContext);
+		this.applicationContext = applicationContext;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -229,7 +231,15 @@ public class DefaultMessageBus implements MessageBus, ApplicationContextAware, A
 	}
 
 	public MessageChannel lookupChannel(String channelName) {
-		return this.channelRegistry.lookupChannel(channelName);
+		MessageChannel channel = this.channelRegistry.lookupChannel(channelName);
+		if (channel == null && this.applicationContext != null && this.applicationContext.containsBean(channelName)) {
+			Object bean = this.applicationContext.getBean(channelName);
+			if (bean instanceof MessageChannel) {
+				channel = (MessageChannel) bean;
+				this.registerChannel(channelName, channel);
+			}
+		}
+		return channel;
 	}
 
 	public void registerChannel(String name, MessageChannel channel) {
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/MessageBusAwareBeanPostProcessor.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/MessageBusAwareBeanPostProcessor.java
index 4f47b5f8fc..6ab86f925d 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/MessageBusAwareBeanPostProcessor.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/MessageBusAwareBeanPostProcessor.java
@@ -31,12 +31,14 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 public class MessageBusAwareBeanPostProcessor implements BeanPostProcessor {
 
 	private final MessageBus messageBus;
-	
+
+
 	public MessageBusAwareBeanPostProcessor(MessageBus messageBus) {
 		Assert.notNull(messageBus, "'messageBus' must not be null");
 		this.messageBus = messageBus;
 	}
-	
+
+
 	public Object postProcessAfterInitialization(Object bean, String beanName) throws BeansException {
 		return postProcessIfNecessary(bean);
 	}
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/AggregatorMessageHandlerCreator.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/AggregatorMessageHandlerCreator.java
index e3a8215004..8556448b60 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/AggregatorMessageHandlerCreator.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/config/AggregatorMessageHandlerCreator.java
@@ -64,26 +64,31 @@ public class AggregatorMessageHandlerCreator extends AbstractMessageHandlerCreat
 	public MessageHandler doCreateHandler(Object object, Method method, Map<String, ?> attributes) {
 		AggregatingMessageHandler messageHandler = new AggregatingMessageHandler(new AggregatorAdapter(object, method));
 		this.configureDefaultReplyChannel(messageHandler, object);
-		if (attributes.containsKey(DISCARD_CHANNEL)) {
-			messageHandler.setDiscardChannel(this.channelRegistry.lookupChannel(
-					(String) attributes.get(DISCARD_CHANNEL)));
+		String discardChannelName = this.getAttribute(attributes, DISCARD_CHANNEL, String.class);
+		if (discardChannelName != null) {
+			messageHandler.setDiscardChannel(this.channelRegistry.lookupChannel(discardChannelName));
 		}
-		if (attributes.containsKey(SEND_TIMEOUT)) {
-			messageHandler.setSendTimeout((Long) attributes.get(SEND_TIMEOUT));
+		Long sendTimeout = this.getAttribute(attributes, SEND_TIMEOUT, Long.class);
+		if (sendTimeout != null) {
+			messageHandler.setSendTimeout(sendTimeout);
 		}
-		if (attributes.containsKey(SEND_PARTIAL_RESULTS_ON_TIMEOUT)) {
-			messageHandler.setSendPartialResultOnTimeout(
-					(Boolean) attributes.get(SEND_PARTIAL_RESULTS_ON_TIMEOUT));
+		Boolean sendPartialResultOnTimeout = this.getAttribute(
+				attributes, SEND_PARTIAL_RESULTS_ON_TIMEOUT, Boolean.class);
+		if (sendPartialResultOnTimeout != null) {
+			messageHandler.setSendPartialResultOnTimeout(sendPartialResultOnTimeout);
 		}
-		if (attributes.containsKey(REAPER_INTERVAL)) {
-			messageHandler.setReaperInterval((Long) attributes.get(REAPER_INTERVAL));
+		Long reaperInterval = this.getAttribute(attributes, REAPER_INTERVAL, Long.class);
+		if (reaperInterval != null) {
+			messageHandler.setReaperInterval(reaperInterval);
 		}
-		if (attributes.containsKey(TIMEOUT)) {
-			messageHandler.setTimeout((Long) attributes.get(TIMEOUT));
+		Long timeout = this.getAttribute(attributes, TIMEOUT, Long.class);
+		if (timeout != null) {
+			messageHandler.setTimeout(timeout);
 		}
-		if (attributes.containsKey(TRACKED_CORRELATION_ID_CAPACITY)) {
-			messageHandler.setTrackedCorrelationIdCapacity(
-					(Integer) attributes.get(TRACKED_CORRELATION_ID_CAPACITY));
+		Integer trackedCorrelationIdCapacity = this.getAttribute(
+				attributes, TRACKED_CORRELATION_ID_CAPACITY, Integer.class);
+		if (trackedCorrelationIdCapacity != null) {
+			messageHandler.setTrackedCorrelationIdCapacity(trackedCorrelationIdCapacity);
 		}
 		this.configureCompletionStrategy(object, messageHandler);
 		return messageHandler;
@@ -111,4 +116,16 @@ public class AggregatorMessageHandlerCreator extends AbstractMessageHandlerCreat
 		});
 	}
 
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	private <T> T getAttribute(Map<String, ?> attributes, String name, Class<T> expectedType) {
+		Object value = attributes.get(name);
+		if (value == null || !expectedType.isAssignableFrom(value.getClass())) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		if (value instanceof String && !StringUtils.hasText((String) value)) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		return (T) value;
+	}
+
 }