diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler.java
index 6e482df3ef..438b2674cf 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler.java
@@ -57,10 +57,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler extends AbstractMessa
 		this.outputChannel = outputChannel;
 	}
 
-	protected MessageChannel getOutputChannel() {
-		return this.outputChannel;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Set the timeout for sending reply Messages.
 	 */
@@ -122,7 +118,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler extends AbstractMessa
 		this.sendReplyMessage(replyMessage, requestHeaders.getReplyChannel());
 	}
 
-	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	private Message<?> createReplyMessage(Object reply, MessageHeaders requestHeaders) {
 		if (reply instanceof Message) {
 			return MessageBuilder.fromMessage((Message<?>) reply).copyHeadersIfAbsent(requestHeaders).build();
@@ -144,9 +139,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler extends AbstractMessa
 		if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
 			logger.debug("handler '" + this + "' sending reply Message: " + replyMessage);
 		}
-		MessageChannel outputChannel = this.getOutputChannel();
-		if (outputChannel != null) {
-			this.sendMessage(replyMessage, outputChannel);
+		if (this.outputChannel != null) {
+			this.sendMessage(replyMessage, this.outputChannel);
 		}
 		else if (replyChannelHeaderValue != null) {
 			this.sendMessage(replyMessage, replyChannelHeaderValue);
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/BridgeHandler.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/BridgeHandler.java
index 142dadf2f3..4c2e342b3b 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/BridgeHandler.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/BridgeHandler.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 package org.springframework.integration.handler;
 
 import org.springframework.integration.Message;
-import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
 /**
  * A simple MessageHandler implementation that passes the request Message
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  * The BridgeHandler can be used as a stopper at the end of an assembly line of
  * channels. In this setup the output channel doesn't have to be set, but if the
  * output channel is omitted the <tt>REPLY_CHANNEL</tt> MUST be set on the
- * message.
+ * message. Otherwise, a MessagingException will be thrown at runtime.
  * 
  * @author Mark Fisher
  * @author Iwein Fuld
@@ -42,14 +41,7 @@ public class BridgeHandler extends AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler {
 
 	@Override
 	protected Object handleRequestMessage(Message<?> requestMessage) {
-		if (requestMessage.getHeaders().getReplyChannel() == null) {
-			this.verifyOutputChannel();
-		}
 		return requestMessage;
 	}
 
-	private void verifyOutputChannel() {
-		Assert.state(super.getOutputChannel() != null, "Bridge handler requires an output channel");
-	}
-
 }
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/BridgeHandlerTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/BridgeHandlerTests.java
index 868b180e45..f56104a936 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/BridgeHandlerTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/BridgeHandlerTests.java
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ import org.hamcrest.Matcher;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.integration.Message;
-import org.springframework.integration.MessageHandlingException;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.QueueChannel;
+import org.springframework.integration.core.ChannelResolutionException;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.GenericMessage;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessageBuilder;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.PollableChannel;
@@ -55,18 +55,17 @@ public class BridgeHandlerTests {
 		assertThat(reply, sameExceptImmutableHeaders(request));
 	}
 
-	@Test(expected = MessageHandlingException.class)
+	@Test(expected = ChannelResolutionException.class)
 	public void missingOutputChannelVerifiedAtRuntime() {
 		Message<?> request = new GenericMessage<String>("test");
 		handler.handleMessage(request);
 	}
-	
-	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+
 	@Test(timeout=1000)
 	public void missingOutputChannelAllowedForReplyChannelMessages() throws Exception {
 		PollableChannel replyChannel = new QueueChannel();
-		Message request = MessageBuilder.withPayload("tst").setReplyChannel(replyChannel ).build();
-		handler.handleMessage(request );
+		Message<String> request = MessageBuilder.withPayload("tst").setReplyChannel(replyChannel ).build();
+		handler.handleMessage(request);
 		assertThat(replyChannel.receive(), sameExceptImmutableHeaders(request));
 	}