diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/AbstractRemotingOutboundGateway.java b/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/AbstractRemotingOutboundGateway.java
index 4442bbc9e1..bf823a2725 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/AbstractRemotingOutboundGateway.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/AbstractRemotingOutboundGateway.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import java.io.Serializable;
 
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.endpoint.AbstractMessageHandlingEndpoint;
-import org.springframework.integration.handler.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageHandlingException;
 import org.springframework.remoting.RemoteAccessException;
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MessageHandler.java b/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/MessageHandler.java
similarity index 74%
rename from org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MessageHandler.java
rename to org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/MessageHandler.java
index d5bfbede1e..6e9219c8da 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MessageHandler.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/MessageHandler.java
@@ -14,14 +14,13 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-package org.springframework.integration.handler;
+package org.springframework.integration.adapter;
 
 import org.springframework.integration.message.Message;
 
 /**
- * Base message handler interface. Typical implementations will translate
- * between the generic Messages of the integration framework and the domain
- * objects that are passed-to and returned-from business components.
+ * Interface used for proxy-based remoting adapters (e.g. RMI and HttpInvoker).
+ * Enables serializable Messages to be exchanged across a remote invocation.
  * 
  * @author Mark Fisher
  */
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/RemotingInboundGatewaySupport.java b/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/RemotingInboundGatewaySupport.java
index b10c8d2006..14f6eb8206 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/RemotingInboundGatewaySupport.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.adapter/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/RemotingInboundGatewaySupport.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 package org.springframework.integration.adapter;
 
 import org.springframework.integration.gateway.SimpleMessagingGateway;
-import org.springframework.integration.handler.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.Message;
 
 /**
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.httpinvoker/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/httpinvoker/HttpInvokerInboundGateway.java b/org.springframework.integration.httpinvoker/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/httpinvoker/HttpInvokerInboundGateway.java
index 18994b9488..0312280554 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.httpinvoker/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/httpinvoker/HttpInvokerInboundGateway.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.httpinvoker/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/httpinvoker/HttpInvokerInboundGateway.java
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
+import org.springframework.integration.adapter.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.adapter.RemotingInboundGatewaySupport;
-import org.springframework.integration.handler.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessagingException;
 import org.springframework.remoting.httpinvoker.HttpInvokerServiceExporter;
 import org.springframework.web.HttpRequestHandler;
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.httpinvoker/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/httpinvoker/HttpInvokerOutboundGateway.java b/org.springframework.integration.httpinvoker/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/httpinvoker/HttpInvokerOutboundGateway.java
index 4545dbb6b1..d77d2e6989 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.httpinvoker/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/httpinvoker/HttpInvokerOutboundGateway.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.httpinvoker/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/httpinvoker/HttpInvokerOutboundGateway.java
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.integration.httpinvoker;
 
 import org.springframework.integration.adapter.AbstractRemotingOutboundGateway;
-import org.springframework.integration.handler.MessageHandler;
+import org.springframework.integration.adapter.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.remoting.httpinvoker.HttpInvokerProxyFactoryBean;
 
 /**
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiInboundGateway.java b/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiInboundGateway.java
index 36f125907c..ae068d8a9f 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiInboundGateway.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiInboundGateway.java
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ package org.springframework.integration.rmi;
 import java.rmi.RemoteException;
 import java.rmi.registry.Registry;
 
+import org.springframework.integration.adapter.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.adapter.RemotingInboundGatewaySupport;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.MessageChannel;
-import org.springframework.integration.handler.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.remoting.rmi.RmiServiceExporter;
 import org.springframework.remoting.support.RemoteInvocationExecutor;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiOutboundGateway.java b/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiOutboundGateway.java
index 2523828955..c135f36be0 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiOutboundGateway.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiOutboundGateway.java
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.integration.rmi;
 
 import org.springframework.integration.adapter.AbstractRemotingOutboundGateway;
-import org.springframework.integration.handler.MessageHandler;
+import org.springframework.integration.adapter.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.remoting.rmi.RmiProxyFactoryBean;
 
 /**
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiOutboundGatewayTests.java b/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiOutboundGatewayTests.java
index ec0b9e0a75..ea5c3c5f45 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiOutboundGatewayTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/RmiOutboundGatewayTests.java
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import java.rmi.RemoteException;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
-import org.springframework.integration.handler.MessageHandler;
+import org.springframework.integration.adapter.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.GenericMessage;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageBuilder;