diff --git a/spring-integration-amqp/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/amqp/outbound/OutboundEndpointTests.java b/spring-integration-amqp/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/amqp/outbound/OutboundEndpointTests.java
index 9006bdd197..6a4bca564b 100644
--- a/spring-integration-amqp/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/amqp/outbound/OutboundEndpointTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-amqp/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/amqp/outbound/OutboundEndpointTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2013 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2014 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.
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.integration.amqp.outbound;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.anyString;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
@@ -34,8 +35,10 @@ import org.springframework.amqp.core.Message;
 import org.springframework.amqp.rabbit.connection.ConnectionFactory;
 import org.springframework.amqp.rabbit.core.RabbitTemplate;
 import org.springframework.amqp.rabbit.support.CorrelationData;
-import org.springframework.messaging.MessageHeaders;
+import org.springframework.integration.amqp.support.DefaultAmqpHeaderMapper;
+import org.springframework.integration.channel.QueueChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.support.MessageBuilder;
+import org.springframework.messaging.MessageHeaders;
 
 /**
  * @author Gary Russell
@@ -73,6 +76,9 @@ public class OutboundEndpointTests {
 		TestRabbitTemplate amqpTemplate = spy(new TestRabbitTemplate(connectionFactory));
 		AmqpOutboundEndpoint endpoint = new AmqpOutboundEndpoint(amqpTemplate);
 		endpoint.setExpectReply(true);
+		DefaultAmqpHeaderMapper mapper = new DefaultAmqpHeaderMapper();
+		mapper.setRequestHeaderNames("*");
+		endpoint.setHeaderMapper(mapper);
 		final AtomicReference<Message> amqpMessage =
 				new AtomicReference<Message>();
 		doAnswer(new Answer<Object>() {
@@ -85,10 +91,12 @@ public class OutboundEndpointTests {
 		}).when(amqpTemplate).doSendAndReceiveWithTemporary(anyString(), anyString(), any(Message.class));
 		org.springframework.messaging.Message<?> message = MessageBuilder.withPayload("foo")
 				.setHeader(MessageHeaders.CONTENT_TYPE, "bar")
+				.setReplyChannel(new QueueChannel())
 				.build();
 		endpoint.handleMessage(message);
 		assertNotNull(amqpMessage.get());
 		assertEquals("bar", amqpMessage.get().getMessageProperties().getContentType());
+		assertNull(amqpMessage.get().getMessageProperties().getHeaders().get(MessageHeaders.REPLY_CHANNEL));
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/mapping/AbstractHeaderMapper.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/mapping/AbstractHeaderMapper.java
index 1578603f25..edf4986319 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/mapping/AbstractHeaderMapper.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/mapping/AbstractHeaderMapper.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
+import org.springframework.messaging.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.messaging.MessageHeaders;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.CollectionUtils;
@@ -196,7 +197,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHeaderMapper<T> implements RequestReplyHeaderMappe
 	private void populateUserDefinedHeaders(Map<String, Object> headers, T target) {
 		for (String headerName : headers.keySet()) {
 			Object value = headers.get(headerName);
-			if (value != null) {
+			if (value != null && !isMessageChannel(headerName, value)) {
 				try {
 					if (!headerName.startsWith(this.standardHeaderPrefix)) {
 						String key = this.createTargetPropertyName(headerName, true);
@@ -212,6 +213,16 @@ public abstract class AbstractHeaderMapper<T> implements RequestReplyHeaderMappe
 		}
 	}
 
+	private boolean isMessageChannel(String headerName, Object headerValue) {
+		if (headerValue instanceof MessageChannel) {
+			if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+				logger.debug("Cannot map a MessageChannel instance in header " + headerName);
+			}
+			return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Map headers from a source instance to the {@link MessageHeaders} of
 	 * a {@link org.springframework.messaging.Message}.
@@ -245,11 +256,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractHeaderMapper<T> implements RequestReplyHeaderMappe
 	}
 
 	private boolean shouldMapHeader(String headerName, HeaderMatcher headerMatcher) {
-		if (!StringUtils.hasText(headerName)
-				|| getTransientHeaderNames().contains(headerName)) {
-			return false;
-		}
-		return headerMatcher.matchHeader(headerName);
+		return !(!StringUtils.hasText(headerName) || getTransientHeaderNames().contains(headerName))
+				&& headerMatcher.matchHeader(headerName);
 	}
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")