diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/history/MessageHistoryWriter.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/history/MessageHistoryWriter.java
index 3d089b589f..05c79d1e0f 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/history/MessageHistoryWriter.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/history/MessageHistoryWriter.java
@@ -26,19 +26,31 @@ import org.springframework.integration.context.NamedComponent;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageHandler;
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
 /**
- * This components is responsible for maintaining the history of {@link MessageChannel}s and 
- * {@link MessageHandler}s
- * There can only be ine instance of this class per ApplicationContext hierarchy 
- * otherwise the Exception will be thrown.
+ * This component is responsible for maintaining the history of {@link MessageChannel}s and 
+ * {@link MessageHandler}s. There can only be one instance of this class per ApplicationContext
+ * hierarchy otherwise an Exception will be thrown.
  * 
  * @author Oleg Zhurakousky
  * @since 2.0
  */
 public class MessageHistoryWriter implements BeanFactoryAware, InitializingBean{
 
-	private BeanFactory beanFactory;
+	private volatile BeanFactory beanFactory;
+
+
+	public void setBeanFactory(BeanFactory beanFactory) throws BeansException {
+		this.beanFactory = beanFactory;
+	}
+
+	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
+		Assert.notNull(this.beanFactory, "BeanFactory is required");
+		if (BeanFactoryUtils.beansOfTypeIncludingAncestors((ListableBeanFactory) this.beanFactory, MessageHistoryWriter.class).size() > 1) {
+			throw new IllegalArgumentException("more than one MessageHistoryWriter exists in the context");
+		}
+	}
 
 	public void writeHistory(NamedComponent component, Message<?> message) {
 		if (message != null) {
@@ -46,14 +58,4 @@ public class MessageHistoryWriter implements BeanFactoryAware, InitializingBean{
 		}
 	}
 
-	public void setBeanFactory(BeanFactory beanFactory) throws BeansException {
-		this.beanFactory = beanFactory;
-	}
-
-	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
-		if (BeanFactoryUtils.beansOfTypeIncludingAncestors((ListableBeanFactory)this.beanFactory, MessageHistoryWriter.class).size() > 1){
-			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Attempt to register more then one MessageHistoryWriter");
-		}
-	}
-
 }