diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/MessageBus.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/MessageBus.java
index ec1911a8da..d3a6037232 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/MessageBus.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/bus/MessageBus.java
@@ -244,12 +244,23 @@ public class MessageBus implements ChannelRegistry, ApplicationContextAware, Lif
 							"'. Consider enabling the 'autoCreateChannels' option for the message bus.");
 				}
 				if (this.logger.isInfoEnabled()) {
-					logger.info("auto-creating channel '" + channel.getName() + "'");
+					logger.info("auto-creating channel '" + channelName + "'");
 				}
 				channel = new SimpleChannel(); 
 				this.registerChannel(channelName, channel);
 			}
 		}
+		if (endpoint instanceof DefaultMessageEndpoint) {
+			String outputChannelName = ((DefaultMessageEndpoint) endpoint).getDefaultOutputChannelName();
+			if (outputChannelName != null && this.lookupChannel(outputChannelName) == null) {
+				if (!this.autoCreateChannels) {
+					throw new MessagingConfigurationException("Unknown channel '" + outputChannelName +
+							"' configured as 'default-output' for endpoint '" + endpoint.getName() +
+							"'. Consider enabling the 'autoCreateChannels' option for the message bus.");
+				}
+				this.registerChannel(outputChannelName, new SimpleChannel());
+			}
+		}
 		this.registerWithDispatcher(channel, endpoint, subscription.getSchedule(), endpoint.getConcurrencyPolicy());
 		if (logger.isInfoEnabled()) {
 			logger.info("activated subscription to channel '" + channel.getName() + 
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParser.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParser.java
index 3d5e4de996..527c12b130 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParser.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParser.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class EndpointParser implements BeanDefinitionParser {
 
 	private static final String SUBSCRIPTION_PROPERTY = "subscription";
 
-	private static final String CHANNEL_PROPERTY = "channel";
+	private static final String CHANNEL_NAME_PROPERTY = "channelName";
 
 	private static final String DEFAULT_OUTPUT_CHANNEL_ATTRIBUTE = "default-output-channel";
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public class EndpointParser implements BeanDefinitionParser {
 		String inputChannel = element.getAttribute(INPUT_CHANNEL_ATTRIBUTE);
 		RootBeanDefinition subscriptionDef = new RootBeanDefinition(Subscription.class);
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(inputChannel)) {
-			subscriptionDef.getPropertyValues().addPropertyValue(CHANNEL_PROPERTY, new RuntimeBeanReference(inputChannel));
+			subscriptionDef.getPropertyValues().addPropertyValue(CHANNEL_NAME_PROPERTY, inputChannel);
 		}
 		String defaultOutputChannel = element.getAttribute(DEFAULT_OUTPUT_CHANNEL_ATTRIBUTE);
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(defaultOutputChannel)) {
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/MessageEndpoint.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/MessageEndpoint.java
index f5ecfaf813..7627162581 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/MessageEndpoint.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/MessageEndpoint.java
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ public interface MessageEndpoint extends MessageHandler {
 
 	String getName();
 
-	MessageHandler getHandler();
-
 	Subscription getSubscription();
 
 	ConcurrencyPolicy getConcurrencyPolicy();