diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/AbstractMethodAnnotationPostProcessor.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/AbstractMethodAnnotationPostProcessor.java
index 0dcfdacd3b..8a765bba4c 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/AbstractMethodAnnotationPostProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/AbstractMethodAnnotationPostProcessor.java
@@ -128,16 +128,13 @@ public abstract class AbstractMethodAnnotationPostProcessor<T extends Annotation
 
 	@Override
 	public Object postProcess(Object bean, String beanName, Method method, List<Annotation> annotations) {
-		if (this.beanAnnotationAware() && AnnotatedElementUtils.isAnnotated(method, Bean.class.getName())) {
+		Object sourceHandler = null;
+		if (beanAnnotationAware() && AnnotatedElementUtils.isAnnotated(method, Bean.class.getName())) {
 			if (!this.beanFactory.containsBeanDefinition(resolveTargetBeanName(method))) {
 				this.logger.debug("Skipping endpoint creation; perhaps due to some '@Conditional' annotation.");
 				return null;
 			}
-		}
-
-		Object sourceHandler = null;
-		if (beanAnnotationAware() && AnnotatedElementUtils.isAnnotated(method, Bean.class.getName())) {
-			if (MessageHandler.class.isAssignableFrom(method.getReturnType())) {
+			else {
 				sourceHandler = resolveTargetBeanFromMethodWithBeanAnnotation(method);
 			}
 		}
@@ -159,12 +156,15 @@ public abstract class AbstractMethodAnnotationPostProcessor<T extends Annotation
 		if (handler instanceof AbstractMessageProducingHandler || handler instanceof AbstractMessageRouter) {
 			String sendTimeout = MessagingAnnotationUtils.resolveAttribute(annotations, "sendTimeout", String.class);
 			if (sendTimeout != null) {
-				Long value = Long.valueOf(this.beanFactory.resolveEmbeddedValue(sendTimeout));
-				if (handler instanceof AbstractMessageProducingHandler) {
-					((AbstractMessageProducingHandler) handler).setSendTimeout(value);
-				}
-				else {
-					((AbstractMessageRouter) handler).setSendTimeout(value);
+				String resolvedValue = this.beanFactory.resolveEmbeddedValue(sendTimeout);
+				if (resolvedValue != null) {
+					long value = Long.parseLong(resolvedValue);
+					if (handler instanceof AbstractMessageProducingHandler) {
+						((AbstractMessageProducingHandler) handler).setSendTimeout(value);
+					}
+					else {
+						((AbstractMessageRouter) handler).setSendTimeout(value);
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/BridgeFromAnnotationPostProcessor.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/BridgeFromAnnotationPostProcessor.java
index 387a15075a..831451980e 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/BridgeFromAnnotationPostProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/BridgeFromAnnotationPostProcessor.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2014-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2014-2018 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
  * Post-processor for the {@link BridgeFrom @BridgeFrom} annotation.
  *
  * @author Artem Bilan
+ *
  * @since 4.0
  */
 public class BridgeFromAnnotationPostProcessor extends AbstractMethodAnnotationPostProcessor<BridgeFrom> {
@@ -78,4 +79,9 @@ public class BridgeFromAnnotationPostProcessor extends AbstractMethodAnnotationP
 		return handler;
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	protected Object resolveTargetBeanFromMethodWithBeanAnnotation(Method method) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/MessagingAnnotationPostProcessor.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/MessagingAnnotationPostProcessor.java
index 558408bd41..2a423bbb60 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/MessagingAnnotationPostProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/MessagingAnnotationPostProcessor.java
@@ -72,13 +72,11 @@ public class MessagingAnnotationPostProcessor implements BeanPostProcessor, Bean
 
 	protected final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(this.getClass()); // NOSONAR
 
-	private final Map<Class<? extends Annotation>, MethodAnnotationPostProcessor<?>> postProcessors =
-			new HashMap<Class<? extends Annotation>, MethodAnnotationPostProcessor<?>>();
+	private final Map<Class<? extends Annotation>, MethodAnnotationPostProcessor<?>> postProcessors = new HashMap<>();
 
 	private ConfigurableListableBeanFactory beanFactory;
 
-	private final Set<Class<?>> noAnnotationsCache =
-			Collections.newSetFromMap(new ConcurrentHashMap<Class<?>, Boolean>(256));
+	private final Set<Class<?>> noAnnotationsCache = Collections.newSetFromMap(new ConcurrentHashMap<>(256));
 
 	@Override
 	public void setBeanFactory(BeanFactory beanFactory) {
@@ -222,13 +220,15 @@ public class MessagingAnnotationPostProcessor implements BeanPostProcessor, Bean
 	 */
 	protected List<Annotation> getAnnotationChain(Method method, Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType) {
 		Annotation[] annotations = AnnotationUtils.getAnnotations(method);
-		List<Annotation> annotationChain = new LinkedList<Annotation>();
-		Set<Annotation> visited = new HashSet<Annotation>();
-		for (Annotation ann : annotations) {
-			recursiveFindAnnotation(annotationType, ann, annotationChain, visited);
-			if (annotationChain.size() > 0) {
-				Collections.reverse(annotationChain);
-				return annotationChain;
+		List<Annotation> annotationChain = new LinkedList<>();
+		if (annotations != null) {
+			Set<Annotation> visited = new HashSet<>();
+			for (Annotation ann : annotations) {
+				recursiveFindAnnotation(annotationType, ann, annotationChain, visited);
+				if (annotationChain.size() > 0) {
+					Collections.reverse(annotationChain);
+					return annotationChain;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		return annotationChain;
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/ServiceActivatorAnnotationPostProcessor.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/ServiceActivatorAnnotationPostProcessor.java
index f08ca4ade4..f5779bf6e1 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/ServiceActivatorAnnotationPostProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/annotation/ServiceActivatorAnnotationPostProcessor.java
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ public class ServiceActivatorAnnotationPostProcessor extends AbstractMethodAnnot
 	protected MessageHandler createHandler(Object bean, Method method, List<Annotation> annotations) {
 		AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler serviceActivator;
 		if (AnnotatedElementUtils.isAnnotated(method, Bean.class.getName())) {
-			final Object target = this.resolveTargetBeanFromMethodWithBeanAnnotation(method);
-			serviceActivator = this.extractTypeIfPossible(target, AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler.class);
+			final Object target = resolveTargetBeanFromMethodWithBeanAnnotation(method);
+			serviceActivator = extractTypeIfPossible(target, AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler.class);
 			if (serviceActivator == null) {
 				if (target instanceof MessageHandler) {
 					/*
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/configuration/EnableIntegrationTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/configuration/EnableIntegrationTests.java
index e04cf646e1..65c54a0766 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/configuration/EnableIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/configuration/EnableIntegrationTests.java
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ import org.springframework.integration.endpoint.MethodInvokingMessageSource;
 import org.springframework.integration.endpoint.PollingConsumer;
 import org.springframework.integration.expression.SpelPropertyAccessorRegistrar;
 import org.springframework.integration.gateway.GatewayProxyFactoryBean;
+import org.springframework.integration.handler.ServiceActivatingHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.handler.advice.ExpressionEvaluatingRequestHandlerAdvice;
 import org.springframework.integration.history.MessageHistory;
 import org.springframework.integration.history.MessageHistoryConfigurer;
@@ -421,11 +422,17 @@ public class EnableIntegrationTests {
 		assertEquals("FOO", message.getHeaders().get("foo"));
 
 		MessagingTemplate messagingTemplate = new MessagingTemplate(this.controlBusChannel);
-		assertFalse(messagingTemplate.convertSendAndReceive("@lifecycle.isRunning()", Boolean.class));
-		this.controlBusChannel.send(new GenericMessage<String>("@lifecycle.start()"));
-		assertTrue(messagingTemplate.convertSendAndReceive("@lifecycle.isRunning()", Boolean.class));
-		this.controlBusChannel.send(new GenericMessage<String>("@lifecycle.stop()"));
-		assertFalse(messagingTemplate.convertSendAndReceive("@lifecycle.isRunning()", Boolean.class));
+		assertEquals(false, messagingTemplate.convertSendAndReceive("@lifecycle.isRunning()", Boolean.class));
+		this.controlBusChannel.send(new GenericMessage<>("@lifecycle.start()"));
+		assertEquals(true, messagingTemplate.convertSendAndReceive("@lifecycle.isRunning()", Boolean.class));
+		this.controlBusChannel.send(new GenericMessage<>("@lifecycle.stop()"));
+		assertEquals(false, messagingTemplate.convertSendAndReceive("@lifecycle.isRunning()", Boolean.class));
+
+		Map<String, ServiceActivatingHandler> beansOfType =
+				this.context.getBeansOfType(ServiceActivatingHandler.class);
+
+		assertFalse(beansOfType.keySet()
+				.contains("enableIntegrationTests.ContextConfiguration2.controlBus.serviceActivator.handler"));
 	}
 
 	@Test