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 2f07a0cc0e..f3a2fafbb2 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
@@ -80,6 +80,10 @@ public class EndpointParser implements BeanDefinitionParser {
 
 	private static final String ERROR_HANDLER_PROPERTY = "errorHandler";
 
+	private static final String REPLY_HANDLER_ATTRIBUTE = "reply-handler";
+
+	private static final String REPLY_HANDLER_PROPERTY = "replyHandler";
+
 	private static final String OBJECT_PROPERTY = "object";
 
 	private static final String METHOD_NAME_PROPERTY = "methodName";
@@ -178,6 +182,10 @@ public class EndpointParser implements BeanDefinitionParser {
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(errorHandlerRef)) {
 			endpointDef.getPropertyValues().addPropertyValue(ERROR_HANDLER_PROPERTY, new RuntimeBeanReference(errorHandlerRef));
 		}
+		String replyHandlerRef = element.getAttribute(REPLY_HANDLER_ATTRIBUTE);
+		if (StringUtils.hasText(replyHandlerRef)) {
+			endpointDef.getPropertyValues().addPropertyValue(REPLY_HANDLER_PROPERTY, new RuntimeBeanReference(replyHandlerRef));
+		}
 		String beanName = element.getAttribute(ID_ATTRIBUTE);
 		if (!StringUtils.hasText(beanName)) {
 			beanName = parserContext.getReaderContext().generateBeanName(endpointDef);
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/spring-integration-1.0.xsd b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/spring-integration-1.0.xsd
index d1e4172e59..f142f7480a 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/spring-integration-1.0.xsd
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/spring-integration-1.0.xsd
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@
 					<xsd:attribute name="handler-ref" type="xsd:string"/>
 					<xsd:attribute name="handler-method" type="xsd:string"/>
 					<xsd:attribute name="error-handler" type="xsd:string"/>
+					<xsd:attribute name="reply-handler" type="xsd:string"/>
 				</xsd:extension>
 			</xsd:complexContent>
 		</xsd:complexType>
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java
index c54428243c..c0882be442 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public class DefaultMessageEndpoint implements MessageEndpoint, ChannelRegistryA
 
 	private final List<MessageSelector> selectors = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<MessageSelector>();
 
-	private final ReplyHandler replyHandler = new EndpointReplyHandler();
+	private volatile ReplyHandler replyHandler = new EndpointReplyHandler();
 
 	private volatile long replyTimeout = 1000;
 
@@ -149,6 +149,11 @@ public class DefaultMessageEndpoint implements MessageEndpoint, ChannelRegistryA
 		return (this.errorHandler != null);
 	}
 
+	public void setReplyHandler(ReplyHandler replyHandler) {
+		Assert.notNull(replyHandler, "'replyHandler' must not be null");
+		this.replyHandler = replyHandler;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Set the timeout in milliseconds to be enforced when this endpoint sends a
 	 * reply message. If the message is not sent successfully within the
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParserTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParserTests.java
index 68feeee6cd..c52caf2cf5 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParserTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParserTests.java
@@ -157,4 +157,18 @@ public class EndpointParserTests {
 		assertEquals(message, exception.getFailedMessage());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testCustomReplyHandler() {
+		ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
+				"endpointWithReplyHandler.xml", this.getClass());
+		MessageHandler endpoint = (MessageHandler) context.getBean("endpoint");
+		TestReplyHandler replyHandler = (TestReplyHandler) context.getBean("replyHandler");
+		assertNull(replyHandler.getLastMessage());
+		Message<?> message = new StringMessage("test");
+		endpoint.handle(message);
+		Message<?> reply = replyHandler.getLastMessage();
+		assertNotNull(reply);
+		assertEquals("foo", reply.getPayload());
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/TestHandler.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/TestHandler.java
index 32459ea1b0..642fcf995e 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/TestHandler.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/TestHandler.java
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ public class TestHandler implements MessageHandler {
 	private String replyMessageText = null;
 
 
+	public TestHandler() {
+		this(1);
+	}
+
 	public TestHandler(int countdown) {
 		this.latch = new CountDownLatch(countdown);
 	}
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/TestReplyHandler.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/TestReplyHandler.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5818a00e24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/TestReplyHandler.java
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2007 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.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.integration.config;
+
+import org.springframework.integration.handler.ReplyHandler;
+import org.springframework.integration.message.Message;
+import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageHeader;
+
+/**
+ * @author Mark Fisher
+ */
+public class TestReplyHandler implements ReplyHandler {
+
+	private volatile Message<?> lastMessage;
+
+
+	public void handle(Message<?> replyMessage, MessageHeader originalMessageHeader) {
+		this.lastMessage = replyMessage;
+	}
+
+	public Message<?> getLastMessage() {
+		return this.lastMessage;
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/endpointWithReplyHandler.xml b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/endpointWithReplyHandler.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f7781e4cef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/endpointWithReplyHandler.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<beans:beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration"
+	xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+	xmlns:beans="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
+	xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans
+			http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-2.5.xsd
+			http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration
+			http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration/spring-integration-1.0.xsd">
+
+	<message-bus/>
+
+	<channel id="testChannel"/>
+
+	<endpoint id="endpoint" input-channel="testChannel" handler-ref="testHandler" reply-handler="replyHandler"/>
+
+	<beans:bean id="testHandler" class="org.springframework.integration.config.TestHandler">
+		<beans:property name="replyMessageText" value="foo"/>
+	</beans:bean>
+
+	<beans:bean id="replyHandler" class="org.springframework.integration.config.TestReplyHandler"/>
+
+</beans:beans>