diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 66bb817bf3..0ba3856cb0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ pom.xml
 si.java.hsp
 spring-integration-jms/activemq-data/
 spring-integration-samples/loanshark/application.log*
+target
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 50171b85e7..73f221658b 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ project('spring-integration-jms') {
     description = 'Spring Integration JMS Support'
     dependencies {
         compile project(":spring-integration-core")
+        compile "org.springframework:spring-context:$springVersion"
         compile "org.springframework:spring-jms:$springVersion"
         compile "org.springframework:spring-tx:$springVersion"
         compile ("org.apache.geronimo.specs:geronimo-jms_1.1_spec:1.1") { provided = true }
@@ -416,6 +417,8 @@ apply from: "$rootDir/gradle/dist.gradle"
 // add tasks like 'snapshotDependencyCheck'
 apply from: "${rootDir}/gradle/checks.gradle"
 
+// add 'generatePom' task to generate root pom with <modules> section
+apply from: "$rootDir/gradle/maven-root-pom.gradle"
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Import tasks related to releasing and managing the project
diff --git a/gradle/maven-deployment.gradle b/gradle/maven-deployment.gradle
index 1da52540f6..d588d0ba56 100644
--- a/gradle/maven-deployment.gradle
+++ b/gradle/maven-deployment.gradle
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ uploadArchives {
     configurePom(deployer.pom)
 }
 
+
 /**
  * Install gradle-built artifacts to the local m2 maven cache.
  * Further customizes the 'install' task contributed by the 'maven' plugin.
@@ -134,6 +135,105 @@ install {
     configurePom(repositories.mavenInstaller.pom)
 }
 
+
+/**
+ * Generate a Maven pom.xml for use at build time.  Dependency information will
+ * be based on Gradle metadata for the project, and other customizations such
+ * as licensing information and source compatibility settings are configured
+ * within.
+ *
+ * @author Chris Beams
+ * @see http://gradle.org/0.9-preview-3/docs/userguide/userguide_single.html#pomBuilder
+ */
+task generatePom {
+    group = 'Build'
+    description = 'Generates a Maven POM file suitable for use in building the project'
+
+    generatedPomFileName = "pom.xml"
+
+    // enable partial cleaning with `gradle cleanGeneratePom`
+    outputs.files(generatedPomFileName)
+
+    doLast() {
+        // customize the pom creation process
+        p = pom {
+            project {
+                name = project.description
+                properties {
+                    setProperty('project.build.sourceEncoding', 'UTF8')
+                }
+                build {
+                    plugins {
+                        plugin {
+                            groupId = 'org.apache.maven.plugins'
+                            artifactId = 'maven-compiler-plugin'
+                            configuration {
+                                source = '1.5'
+                                target = '1.5'
+                            }
+                        }
+                        plugin {
+                            groupId = 'org.apache.maven.plugins'
+                            artifactId = 'maven-surefire-plugin'
+                            configuration {
+                                includes {
+                                    include = '**/*Tests.java'
+                                }
+                                excludes {
+                                    exclude = '**/*Abstract*.java'
+                                }
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                    resources {
+                        resource {
+                            directory = 'src/main/java'
+                            includes = ['**/*']
+                            excludes = ['**/*.java']
+                        }
+                        resource {
+                            directory = 'src/main/resources'
+                            includes = ['**/*']
+                        }
+                    }
+                    testResources {
+                        testResource {
+                            directory = 'src/test/java'
+                            includes = ['**/*']
+                            excludes = ['**/*.java']
+                        }
+                        testResource {
+                            directory = 'src/test/resources'
+                            includes = ['**/*']
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // customizing the artifact id is a special case that must be configured
+        // after the pom is fully configured, otherwise it'll be overwritten
+        p.whenConfigured { pom -> pom.artifactId = project.name }
+
+        configurePom(p)
+
+        // write the pom.xml file out to the filesystem
+        p.writeTo(generatedPomFileName)
+    }
+
+    // ensure that pom generation happens every time resources are processed
+    // (which practically means any time a build happens). if the dependencies
+    // for the project have been updated (in $rootDir/build.gradle), the pom
+    // will have diffs in it and the developer will be reminded to check in
+    // the change during the next commit cycle.
+    //processResources.dependsOn generatePom
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Read dynamic 'optional' and 'provided' properties from gradle dependencies
+ * and translate them to their maven POM equivalents.
+ */
 def configurePom(def pom) {
     pom.whenConfigured { generatedPom ->
         def optionalDeps = configurations.testRuntime.allDependencies.findAll { gradleDep ->
diff --git a/gradle/maven-root-pom.gradle b/gradle/maven-root-pom.gradle
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d26f1402ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gradle/maven-root-pom.gradle
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+
+/*
+ * 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.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Generate a root Maven pom.xml for use at build time. Contains nothing other
+ * than a 'modules' section aggregating child projects. This pom will never be
+ * installed locally or deployed remotely.  Child projects will not explicitly
+ * declare this pom as their parent, given than nothing need be inherited from
+ * it.
+ *
+ * @author Chris Beams
+ * @see maven-deployment.gradle for per-project generatePom task
+ */
+task generatePom {
+    apply plugin: 'maven'
+    group = 'Build'
+    description = 'Generates a root Maven pom for convenience.'
+
+    generatedPomFileName = "pom.xml"
+
+    // enable partial cleaning with `gradle cleanGeneratePom`
+    outputs.files(generatedPomFileName)
+
+    doLast() {
+        // customize the pom creation process
+        p = pom {
+            project {
+                name = project.description
+                packaging = 'pom'
+                modules = javaprojects.collect { project -> project.name }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // customizing the artifact id is a special case that must be configured
+        // after the pom is fully configured, otherwise it'll be overwritten
+        p.whenConfigured { pom -> pom.artifactId = project.name }
+
+        // write the pom.xml file out to the filesystem
+        p.writeTo(generatedPomFileName)
+    }
+
+    // ensure that pom generation happens every time resources are processed
+    // (which practically means any time a build happens). if the dependencies
+    // for the project have been updated (in $rootDir/build.gradle), the pom
+    // will have diffs in it and the developer will be reminded to check in
+    // the change during the next commit cycle.
+    //processResources.dependsOn generatePom
+}