diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/annotation/MessageMapping.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/annotation/Payload.java
similarity index 67%
rename from org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/annotation/MessageMapping.java
rename to org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/annotation/Payload.java
index 9f15c2c77c..bc33141806 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/annotation/MessageMapping.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/annotation/Payload.java
@@ -24,10 +24,12 @@ import java.lang.annotation.Target;
 
 /**
  * This annotation allows you to specify a SpEL expression indicating that a method 
- * parameter's value should be mapped from the result of expression processing. 
- * The annotated parameter must be of the required type.
- * Example: void foo(@MessageMapping("headers.day") String arg) - will map the value of 
- * the 'day' header to 'arg'.
+ * parameter's value should be mapped from the payload of a Message. The expression
+ * will be evaluated against the payload object as the root context. The annotated
+ * parameter type must match or be convertible from the evaluation result.
+ * <p>
+ * Example: void foo(@Payload("city.name") String cityName) - will map the value of 
+ * the 'name' property of the 'city' property of the payload object.
  * 
  * @author Oleg Zhurakousky
  * @since 2.0
@@ -35,8 +37,11 @@ import java.lang.annotation.Target;
 @Target(ElementType.PARAMETER)
 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
 @Documented
-public @interface MessageMapping {
+public @interface Payload {
 
-	String value();
+	/**
+	 * Expression for matching against nested properties of the payload. 
+	 */
+	String value() default "";
 
 }
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapper.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapper.java
index 85711c71ef..05e07d5abf 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapper.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapper.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ import org.springframework.expression.spel.standard.SpelExpressionParser;
 import org.springframework.expression.spel.support.StandardEvaluationContext;
 import org.springframework.integration.annotation.Header;
 import org.springframework.integration.annotation.Headers;
-import org.springframework.integration.annotation.MessageMapping;
+import org.springframework.integration.annotation.Payload;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.InboundMessageMapper;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageBuilder;
@@ -168,8 +168,14 @@ public class ArgumentArrayMessageMapper implements InboundMessageMapper<Object[]
 				if (mappingAnnotation.annotationType().isAssignableFrom(Header.class)) {
 					value = this.mapHeaderThruAnnotation(mappingAnnotation, message, methodParameter, null)[1];
 				}
-				else if (mappingAnnotation.annotationType().isAssignableFrom(MessageMapping.class)) {
-					expressions = new String[] { (String) AnnotationUtils.getValue(mappingAnnotation) };
+				else if (mappingAnnotation.annotationType().isAssignableFrom(Payload.class)) {
+					String payloadExpression = ((Payload) mappingAnnotation).value();
+					if (payloadExpression.length() == 0) {
+						expressions = new String[] { "payload" };
+					}
+					else {
+						expressions = new String[] { "payload." + payloadExpression };
+					}
 					value = this.getValueFromMessageBasedOnEL(message, methodParameter.getParameterType(), true, expressions);
 				}
 				else if (mappingAnnotation.annotationType().isAssignableFrom(Headers.class)) {
@@ -186,7 +192,7 @@ public class ArgumentArrayMessageMapper implements InboundMessageMapper<Object[]
 	}
 
 	public Message<?> toMessage(Object[] arguments) {
-		Assert.notNull(arguments, "Can not map 'null' arguments to Message");
+		Assert.notNull(arguments, "cannot map null arguments to Message");
 		if (arguments.length > this.parameterList.size()) {
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Too many parameters provided for: " + method);
 		}
@@ -206,10 +212,10 @@ public class ArgumentArrayMessageMapper implements InboundMessageMapper<Object[]
 		Annotation match = null;
 		for (Annotation annotation : annotations) {
 			Class<? extends Annotation> type = annotation.annotationType();
-			if (type.equals(MessageMapping.class) || type.equals(Header.class) || type.equals(Headers.class)) {
+			if (type.equals(Payload.class) || type.equals(Header.class) || type.equals(Headers.class)) {
 				if (match != null) {
 					throw new IllegalArgumentException("at most one parameter annotation can be provided for message mapping, " +
-							"but found two [" + match.annotationType().getName() + "] and [" + annotation.annotationType().getName() + "]");
+							"but found two: [" + match.annotationType().getName() + "] and [" + annotation.annotationType().getName() + "]");
 				}
 				match = annotation;
 			}
@@ -250,9 +256,9 @@ public class ArgumentArrayMessageMapper implements InboundMessageMapper<Object[]
 				Object[] header = this.mapHeaderThruAnnotation(annotation, message, methodParam, argumentValue);
 				messageArgumentsMap.put((String) header[0], header[1]);
 			}
-			else if (annotation.annotationType().equals(MessageMapping.class)) {
+			else if (annotation.annotationType().equals(Payload.class)) {
 				// need to clarify what to do here
-				throw new IllegalArgumentException("@MessageMapping is not allowed when mapping from method to Message");
+				throw new IllegalArgumentException("@Payload is not allowed when mapping from method to Message");
 			}
 		}
 		Assert.isTrue(payloadExist, "Payload can not be determined from method: " + method);
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapperFromMessageTests.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapperFromMessageTests.java
index a89869fb89..b46d7dc9b7 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapperFromMessageTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapperFromMessageTests.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.integration.annotation.Header; 
 import org.springframework.integration.annotation.Headers;
-import org.springframework.integration.annotation.MessageMapping;
+import org.springframework.integration.annotation.Payload;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageBuilder;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageHandlingException;
@@ -289,19 +289,19 @@ public class ArgumentArrayMessageMapperFromMessageTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void headersWithExpressions() throws Exception {
+	public void fromMessageToHeadersWithExpressions() throws Exception {
 		Method method = TestService.class.getMethod("headersWithExpressions", String.class, String.class);
 		ArgumentArrayMessageMapper mapper = new ArgumentArrayMessageMapper(method);
 		Employee employee = new Employee("John", "Doe");
 		Message<?> message = MessageBuilder.withPayload("payload").setHeader("emp", employee).build();
 		Object[] args = mapper.fromMessage(message);
 		assertEquals("John", args[0]);
-		assertEquals("Doe", args[1]);
+		assertEquals("DOE", args[1]);
 	}
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("unused")
 	private static class MultipleMappingAnnotationTestBean {
-		public void test(@MessageMapping("payload") @Header("foo")  String s) {
+		public void test(@Payload("payload") @Header("foo")  String s) {
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -334,7 +334,8 @@ public class ArgumentArrayMessageMapperFromMessageTests {
 			return num;
 		}
 
-		public String headersWithExpressions(@Header("emp.fname") String firstName, @Header("emp.lname") String lastName) {
+		public String headersWithExpressions(@Header("emp.fname") String firstName,
+				@Header("emp.lname.toUpperCase()") String lastName) {
 			return lastName + ", " + firstName;
 		}
 
@@ -373,20 +374,20 @@ public class ArgumentArrayMessageMapperFromMessageTests {
 			return i;
 		}
 
-		public void fromMessageToArgWithConversion(@MessageMapping("headers.number") String sArg) {} //
+		public void fromMessageToArgWithConversion(@Header("number") String sArg) {} //
 
-		public void fromMessageToArgWithConversion(@MessageMapping("headers.number") Integer iArg) {} //
+		public void fromMessageToArgWithConversion(@Header("number") Integer iArg) {} //
 
 		public void fromMessageToArgWithConversion(@Header("numberA")Integer valueA, @Header("numberB") Integer valueB) {} //
 
-		public void fromMessageToMessageMappingAnnotation(@MessageMapping("headers.day") String value) {} //
+		public void fromMessageToMessageMappingAnnotation(@Header("day") String value) {} //
 
-		public void fromMessageToMessageMappingAnnotationMultiArguments(@MessageMapping("headers.day") String argA,
-																		@MessageMapping("headers.month") String argB,
-																		@MessageMapping("#this") Message<?> message,
-																		@MessageMapping("payload") Employee payloadArg,
-																		@MessageMapping("payload.fname") String value,
-																		@MessageMapping("headers") Map<?,?> headers){} //
+		public void fromMessageToMessageMappingAnnotationMultiArguments(@Header("day") String argA,
+																		@Header("month") String argB,
+																		Message<?> message,
+																		@Payload Employee payloadArg,
+																		@Payload("fname") String value,
+																		@Headers Map<?,?> headers){} //
 
 		public void fromMessageIrrelevantAnnotation(@BogusAnnotation() String value){} //
 	}
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapperToMessageTests.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapperToMessageTests.java
index d3d948110f..306131577b 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapperToMessageTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ArgumentArrayMessageMapperToMessageTests.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.integration.annotation.Header;
 import org.springframework.integration.annotation.Headers;
-import org.springframework.integration.annotation.MessageMapping;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.handler.ArgumentArrayMessageMapper;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageBuilder;