diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractConsumerEndpointParser.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractConsumerEndpointParser.java
index 7b336e8228..8da4a13e77 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractConsumerEndpointParser.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractConsumerEndpointParser.java
@@ -100,14 +100,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractConsumerEndpointParser extends AbstractBeanDefinit
 		else {
 			channelExists = parserContext.getRegistry().containsBeanDefinition(inputChannelName);
 		}
-		if (!channelExists) {
-			// create a default DirectChannel instance
-			if (!IntegrationContextUtils.ERROR_CHANNEL_BEAN_NAME.equals(inputChannelName)){
-				BeanDefinitionBuilder channelDef = BeanDefinitionBuilder.genericBeanDefinition(
-						IntegrationNamespaceUtils.BASE_PACKAGE + ".channel.DirectChannel");
-				BeanDefinitionHolder holder = new BeanDefinitionHolder(channelDef.getBeanDefinition(), inputChannelName);
-				BeanDefinitionReaderUtils.registerBeanDefinition(holder, parserContext.getRegistry());
-			}	
+		if (!channelExists && this.shouldAutoCreateChannel(inputChannelName)) {
+			BeanDefinitionBuilder channelDef = BeanDefinitionBuilder.genericBeanDefinition(
+					IntegrationNamespaceUtils.BASE_PACKAGE + ".channel.DirectChannel");
+			BeanDefinitionHolder holder = new BeanDefinitionHolder(channelDef.getBeanDefinition(), inputChannelName);
+			BeanDefinitionReaderUtils.registerBeanDefinition(holder, parserContext.getRegistry());
 		}
 		builder.addPropertyValue("inputChannelName", inputChannelName);
 		List<Element> pollerElementList = DomUtils.getChildElementsByTagName(element, "poller");
@@ -126,4 +123,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractConsumerEndpointParser extends AbstractBeanDefinit
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	private boolean shouldAutoCreateChannel(String channelName) {
+		return !IntegrationContextUtils.ERROR_CHANNEL_BEAN_NAME.equals(channelName)
+				&& !IntegrationContextUtils.NULL_CHANNEL_BEAN_NAME.equals(channelName);
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/ErrorChannelAutoCreationTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/ErrorChannelAutoCreationTests.java
index f57bb4a985..596db2add7 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/ErrorChannelAutoCreationTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/ErrorChannelAutoCreationTests.java
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@
  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
  * limitations under the License.
  */
+
 package org.springframework.integration.config.xml;
 
-import static junit.framework.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ public class ErrorChannelAutoCreationTests {
 	// see INT-1899
 	@Test
 	public void testErrorChannelIsPubSub(){
-		assertTrue(errorChannel instanceof PublishSubscribeChannel);
+		assertEquals(PublishSubscribeChannel.class, errorChannel.getClass());
 	}
 	
 }