diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParser.java b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParser.java
index 3ad4a5c10a..4078de8c19 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParser.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParser.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ public class XPathRouterParser extends AbstractConsumerEndpointParser {
 		String xPathExpressionRef = element.getAttribute("xpath-expression-ref");
 		String channelResolver = element.getAttribute("channel-resolver");
 		String resolutionRequired = element.getAttribute("resolution-required");
+		String defaultOutputChannel = element.getAttribute("default-output-channel");
 		
 		NodeList xPathExpressionNodes = element.getElementsByTagNameNS(
 				element.getNamespaceURI(), "xpath-expression");
@@ -87,6 +88,9 @@ public class XPathRouterParser extends AbstractConsumerEndpointParser {
 			builder.addPropertyReference("channelResolver", channelResolver);
 		}
 		
+		if(StringUtils.hasText(defaultOutputChannel)){
+			builder.addPropertyReference("defaultOutputChannel", defaultOutputChannel);
+		}
 		
 		return builder;
 	}
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/spring-integration-xml-1.0.xsd b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/spring-integration-xml-1.0.xsd
index 9bc81e7998..5f05a58394 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/spring-integration-xml-1.0.xsd
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/spring-integration-xml-1.0.xsd
@@ -189,6 +189,16 @@
 				</xsd:annotation>
 			</xsd:attribute>
 			<xsd:attribute name="resolution-required" type="xsd:boolean" use="optional"/>
+			<xsd:attribute name="default-output-channel" type="xsd:string">
+				<xsd:annotation>
+					<xsd:appinfo>
+						<tool:annotation kind="ref">
+							<tool:expected-type
+								type="org.springframework.integration.core.MessageChannel" />
+						</tool:annotation>
+					</xsd:appinfo>
+				</xsd:annotation>
+			</xsd:attribute>
 		</xsd:complexType>
 	</xsd:element>
 
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java
index 233c24d874..b1b21890f0 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import org.springframework.integration.channel.QueueChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.endpoint.EventDrivenConsumer;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.GenericMessage;
+import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageBuilder;
 import org.springframework.integration.xml.util.XmlTestUtil;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
 import org.w3c.dom.Document;
@@ -39,7 +40,8 @@ import org.w3c.dom.Document;
 @ContextConfiguration
 public class XPathRouterParserTests {
 
-	String channelConfig = "<si:channel id='test-input'/> <si:channel id='outputOne'><si:queue capacity='10'/></si:channel>";
+	String channelConfig = "<si:channel id='test-input'/> <si:channel id='outputOne'><si:queue capacity='10'/></si:channel>" +
+		"<si:channel id='defaultOutput'><si:queue capacity='10'/></si:channel>";
 	
 	@Autowired @Qualifier("test-input")
 	MessageChannel inputChannel;
@@ -47,6 +49,10 @@ public class XPathRouterParserTests {
 	@Autowired @Qualifier("outputOne")
 	QueueChannel outputChannel;
 	
+	@Autowired @Qualifier("defaultOutput")
+	QueueChannel defaultOutput;
+	
+	
 	ConfigurableApplicationContext appContext;
 	
 	public EventDrivenConsumer buildContext(String routerDef){
@@ -154,4 +160,18 @@ public class XPathRouterParserTests {
 		assertEquals("Resolution required not set to true ", true, resolutionRequired);
 	}
 	
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testSetDefaultOutputChannel() throws Exception {
+		StringBuffer contextBuffer = new StringBuffer("<si-xml:xpath-router id='router' default-output-channel='defaultOutput' input-channel='test-input'><si-xml:xpath-expression expression='/name'/></si-xml:xpath-router>");
+		EventDrivenConsumer consumer = buildContext(contextBuffer.toString());
+		
+		DirectFieldAccessor accessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(consumer);
+		Object handler = accessor.getPropertyValue("handler");
+		accessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(handler);
+		Object defaultOutputChannelValue = accessor.getPropertyValue("defaultOutputChannel");
+		assertEquals("Default output channel not correctly set ", defaultOutput, defaultOutputChannelValue);
+		inputChannel.send(MessageBuilder.withPayload("<unrelated/>").build());
+		assertEquals("Wrong count of messages on default output channel",1, defaultOutput.getMesssageCount());
+	}
 }