diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/converter/MessageConversionException.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/converter/MessageConversionException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a0fc5eb54a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/converter/MessageConversionException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2010 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.support.converter;
+
+import org.springframework.integration.Message;
+import org.springframework.integration.MessagingException;
+
+/**
+ * @author Mark Fisher
+ * @since 2.0
+ */
+@SuppressWarnings("serial")
+public class MessageConversionException extends MessagingException {
+
+	public MessageConversionException(String description, Throwable cause) {
+		super(description, cause);
+	}
+
+	public MessageConversionException(Message<?> failedMessage, String description, Throwable cause) {
+		super(failedMessage, description, cause);
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/converter/MessageConverter.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/converter/MessageConverter.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..26be1d55f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/converter/MessageConverter.java
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2010 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.support.converter;
+
+import org.springframework.integration.Message;
+
+/**
+ * @author Mark Fisher
+ * @since 2.0
+ */
+public interface MessageConverter {
+
+	<P> Message<P> toMessage(Object object);
+
+	<P> Object fromMessage(Message<P> message);
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/converter/SimpleMessageConverter.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/converter/SimpleMessageConverter.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5b90380282
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/converter/SimpleMessageConverter.java
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2010 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.support.converter;
+
+import org.springframework.integration.Message;
+import org.springframework.integration.mapping.InboundMessageMapper;
+import org.springframework.integration.mapping.OutboundMessageMapper;
+import org.springframework.integration.support.MessageBuilder;
+
+/**
+ * @author Mark Fisher
+ * @since 2.0
+ */
+@SuppressWarnings({"unchecked", "rawtypes"})
+public class SimpleMessageConverter implements MessageConverter {
+
+	private final InboundMessageMapper inboundMessageMapper;
+
+	private final OutboundMessageMapper outboundMessageMapper;
+
+
+	public SimpleMessageConverter() {
+		this(null, null);
+	}
+
+	public SimpleMessageConverter(InboundMessageMapper<?> inboundMessageMapper) {
+		this(inboundMessageMapper, null);
+	}
+
+	public SimpleMessageConverter(OutboundMessageMapper<?> outboundMessageMapper) {
+		this(null, outboundMessageMapper);
+	}
+
+	public SimpleMessageConverter(InboundMessageMapper<?> inboundMessageMapper, OutboundMessageMapper<?> outboundMessageMapper) {
+		this.inboundMessageMapper = (inboundMessageMapper != null) ? inboundMessageMapper : new DefaultInboundMessageMapper();
+		this.outboundMessageMapper = (outboundMessageMapper != null) ? outboundMessageMapper : new DefaultOutboundMessageMapper();
+	}
+
+
+	public <P> Message<P> toMessage(Object object) {
+		try {
+			return this.inboundMessageMapper.toMessage(object);
+		}
+		catch (Exception e) {
+			throw new MessageConversionException("failed to convert object to Message", e);
+		}
+	}
+
+	public <P> Object fromMessage(Message<P> message) {
+		try {
+			return this.outboundMessageMapper.fromMessage(message);
+		}
+		catch (Exception e) {
+			throw new MessageConversionException(message, "failed to convert Message to object", e);
+		}
+	}
+
+
+	private static class DefaultInboundMessageMapper implements InboundMessageMapper<Object> {
+
+		public Message<?> toMessage(Object object) throws Exception {
+			if (object == null) {
+				return null;
+			}
+			if (object instanceof Message<?>) {
+				return (Message<?>) object;
+			}
+			return MessageBuilder.withPayload(object).build();
+		}
+	}
+
+
+	private static class DefaultOutboundMessageMapper implements OutboundMessageMapper<Object> {
+
+		public Object fromMessage(Message<?> message) throws Exception {
+			return (message != null) ? message.getPayload() : null;
+		}
+	}
+
+}