diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageBuilder.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageBuilder.java
index e510eff07c..40521b3f54 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageBuilder.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageBuilder.java
@@ -81,11 +81,7 @@ public final class MessageBuilder<T> {
 		return this;
 	}
 
-	public MessageBuilder<T> copyHeadersFromMessage(Message<?> message) {
-		return this.copyHeaders(message.getHeaders());
-	}
-
-	public MessageBuilder<T> copyHeaders(MessageHeaders headersToCopy) {
+	public MessageBuilder<T> copyHeaders(Map<String, Object> headersToCopy) {
 		Set<String> keys = headersToCopy.keySet();
 		for (String key : keys) {
 			if (key.equals(MessageHeaders.TIMESTAMP)) {
@@ -96,19 +92,13 @@ public final class MessageBuilder<T> {
 		return this;
 	}
 
-	public MessageBuilder<T> copyHeadersFromMessageIfAbsent(Message<?> message) {
-		return this.copyHeadersIfAbsent(message.getHeaders());
-	}
-
-	public MessageBuilder<T> copyHeadersIfAbsent(MessageHeaders headersToCopy) {
+	public MessageBuilder<T> copyHeadersIfAbsent(Map<String, Object> headersToCopy) {
 		Set<String> keys = headersToCopy.keySet();
 		for (String key : keys) {
 			if (key.equals(MessageHeaders.TIMESTAMP)) {
 				continue;
 			}
-			if (this.headers.get(key) == null) {
-				this.setHeaderIfAbsent(key, headersToCopy.get(key));
-			}
+			this.setHeaderIfAbsent(key, headersToCopy.get(key));
 		}
 		return this;
 	}
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/transformer/AnnotationMethodTransformerAdapter.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/transformer/AnnotationMethodTransformerAdapter.java
index 69ac532502..5685f4edcc 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/transformer/AnnotationMethodTransformerAdapter.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/transformer/AnnotationMethodTransformerAdapter.java
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ public class AnnotationMethodTransformerAdapter extends AbstractMethodInvokingAd
 				return builder.build();
 			}
 			else {
-				return MessageBuilder.fromPayload(result).copyHeadersFromMessage(message).build();
+				return MessageBuilder.fromPayload(result).copyHeaders(message.getHeaders()).build();
 			}
 		}
 		catch (Exception e) {
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/transformer/PayloadTransformerAdapter.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/transformer/PayloadTransformerAdapter.java
index 2c4ccd3281..cda984aafc 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/transformer/PayloadTransformerAdapter.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/transformer/PayloadTransformerAdapter.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ public class PayloadTransformerAdapter extends AbstractMethodInvokingAdapter imp
 	public Message<?> transform(Message<?> message) {
 		try {
 	        Object result = this.invokeMethod(message.getPayload());
-	        return MessageBuilder.fromPayload(result).copyHeadersFromMessage(message).build();
+	        return MessageBuilder.fromPayload(result).copyHeaders(message.getHeaders()).build();
         } catch (Exception e) {
         	throw new MessagingException(message, "failed to transform message payload", e);
         }
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageBuilderTests.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageBuilderTests.java
index 52286a55d2..a549950563 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageBuilderTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/message/MessageBuilderTests.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public class MessageBuilderTests {
 				.setHeader("bar", "2")
 				.build();
 		Message<String> message2 = MessageBuilder.fromPayload("test2")
-				.copyHeadersFromMessage(message1)
+				.copyHeaders(message1.getHeaders())
 				.setHeader("foo", "42")
 				.setHeaderIfAbsent("bar", "99")
 				.build();