diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/config/RmiOutboundGatewayParser.java b/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/config/RmiOutboundGatewayParser.java
index 8fe1afe8fc..d0ffb58ae5 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/config/RmiOutboundGatewayParser.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.rmi/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/rmi/config/RmiOutboundGatewayParser.java
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ import java.rmi.registry.Registry;
 import org.w3c.dom.Element;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionBuilder;
-import org.springframework.integration.ConfigurationException;
 import org.springframework.integration.adapter.config.AbstractRemotingOutboundGatewayParser;
 import org.springframework.integration.rmi.RmiInboundGateway;
 import org.springframework.integration.rmi.RmiOutboundGateway;
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
@@ -51,9 +51,8 @@ public class RmiOutboundGatewayParser extends AbstractRemotingOutboundGatewayPar
 	protected void doPostProcess(BeanDefinitionBuilder builder, Element element) {
 		String host = element.getAttribute("host");
 		String remoteChannel = element.getAttribute("remote-channel");
-		if (!(StringUtils.hasText(host) && StringUtils.hasText(remoteChannel))) {
-			throw new ConfigurationException("The 'host' and 'remote-channel' attributes are both required");
-		}
+		Assert.isTrue(StringUtils.hasText(host) && StringUtils.hasText(remoteChannel),
+				"The 'host' and 'remote-channel' attributes are both required");
 		String portAttribute = element.getAttribute("port");
 		String port = StringUtils.hasText(portAttribute) ? portAttribute : "" + Registry.REGISTRY_PORT;
 		String url = "rmi://" + host + ":" + port + "/" + RmiInboundGateway.SERVICE_NAME_PREFIX + remoteChannel;
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.security/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/security/config/SecuredChannelsParser.java b/org.springframework.integration.security/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/security/config/SecuredChannelsParser.java
index 74ae346d31..f9d21a3dfe 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.security/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/security/config/SecuredChannelsParser.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.security/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/security/config/SecuredChannelsParser.java
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionBuilder;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionReaderUtils;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.ParserContext;
-import org.springframework.integration.ConfigurationException;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.config.IntegrationNamespaceUtils;
 import org.springframework.integration.security.channel.ChannelAccessPolicy;
 import org.springframework.integration.security.channel.ChannelInvocationDefinitionSource;
 import org.springframework.integration.security.channel.ChannelSecurityInterceptor;
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.xml.DomUtils;
 
@@ -75,9 +75,8 @@ public class SecuredChannelsParser extends AbstractSingleBeanDefinitionParser {
 			Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(accessPolicyElement.getAttribute("pattern"));
 			String sendAccess = accessPolicyElement.getAttribute("send-access");
 			String receiveAccess = accessPolicyElement.getAttribute("receive-access");
-			if (!StringUtils.hasText(sendAccess) && !StringUtils.hasText(receiveAccess)) {
-				throw new ConfigurationException("At least one of 'send-access' or 'receive-access' must be provided.");
-			}
+			Assert.isTrue(StringUtils.hasText(sendAccess) || StringUtils.hasText(receiveAccess),
+					"At least one of 'send-access' or 'receive-access' must be provided.");
 			objectDefinitionSource.addPatternMapping(pattern, new ChannelAccessPolicy(sendAccess, receiveAccess));
 		}
 		return objectDefinitionSource;
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/scheduling/CronTrigger.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/scheduling/CronTrigger.java
index 1c6b4909ce..dc922305d8 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/scheduling/CronTrigger.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/scheduling/CronTrigger.java
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ import java.util.Date;
 
 import org.quartz.CronExpression;
 
-import org.springframework.integration.ConfigurationException;
-
 /**
  * A trigger that uses a cron expression.
  * 
@@ -39,8 +37,9 @@ public class CronTrigger implements Trigger {
 	public CronTrigger(String expression) {
 		try {
 			this.expression = new CronExpression(expression);
-		} catch (ParseException e) {
-			throw new ConfigurationException(
+		}
+		catch (ParseException e) {
+			throw new IllegalArgumentException(
 					"failed to parse cron expression: " + expression);
 		}
 	}