diff --git a/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileTailInboundChannelAdapterFactoryBean.java b/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileTailInboundChannelAdapterFactoryBean.java
index 0cbff47592..92d9c43f89 100644
--- a/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileTailInboundChannelAdapterFactoryBean.java
+++ b/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileTailInboundChannelAdapterFactoryBean.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import org.springframework.integration.file.tail.FileTailingMessageProducerSuppo
 import org.springframework.integration.file.tail.OSDelegatingFileTailingMessageProducer;
 import org.springframework.scheduling.TaskScheduler;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
  * @author Gary Russell
@@ -67,7 +68,9 @@ public class FileTailInboundChannelAdapterFactoryBean extends AbstractFactoryBea
 	private volatile ApplicationEventPublisher applicationEventPublisher;
 
 	public void setNativeOptions(String nativeOptions) {
-		this.nativeOptions = nativeOptions;
+		if (StringUtils.hasText(nativeOptions)) {
+			this.nativeOptions = nativeOptions;
+		}
 	}
 
 	public void setFile(File file) {
@@ -82,11 +85,11 @@ public class FileTailInboundChannelAdapterFactoryBean extends AbstractFactoryBea
 		this.taskScheduler = taskScheduler;
 	}
 
-	public void setDelay(long delay) {
+	public void setDelay(Long delay) {
 		this.delay = delay;
 	}
 
-	public void setFileDelay(long fileDelay) {
+	public void setFileDelay(Long fileDelay) {
 		this.fileDelay = fileDelay;
 	}
 
@@ -107,11 +110,11 @@ public class FileTailInboundChannelAdapterFactoryBean extends AbstractFactoryBea
 		this.outputChannel = outputChannel;
 	}
 
-	public void setAutoStartup(boolean autoStartup) {
+	public void setAutoStartup(Boolean autoStartup) {
 		this.autoStartup = autoStartup;
 	}
 
-	public void setPhase(int phase) {
+	public void setPhase(Integer phase) {
 		this.phase = phase;
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileTailInboundChannelAdapterParserTests-context.xml b/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileTailInboundChannelAdapterParserTests-context.xml
index 60b7ebc22b..c6885c4861 100644
--- a/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileTailInboundChannelAdapterParserTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileTailInboundChannelAdapterParserTests-context.xml
@@ -4,10 +4,14 @@
 	xmlns:int-file="http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration/file"
 	xmlns:task="http://www.springframework.org/schema/task"
 	xmlns:int="http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration"
+	xmlns:context="http://www.springframework.org/schema/context"
+	xmlns:util="http://www.springframework.org/schema/util"
 	xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration/spring-integration.xsd
 		http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration/file http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration/file/spring-integration-file.xsd
 		http://www.springframework.org/schema/task http://www.springframework.org/schema/task/spring-task.xsd
-		http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd">
+		http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd
+		http://www.springframework.org/schema/util http://www.springframework.org/schema/util/spring-util.xsd
+		http://www.springframework.org/schema/context http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context.xsd">
 
 	<int-file:tail-inbound-channel-adapter id="default"
 		channel="input"
@@ -24,17 +28,28 @@
 		file-delay="456"
 		file="/tmp/foo"
 		auto-startup="false"
+		delay="${empty}"
+		end="${empty}"
+		reopen="${empty}"		
 		phase="123" />
 
 	<int-file:tail-inbound-channel-adapter id="apacheDefault"
 		channel="input"
+		native-options="${empty}"
 		task-executor="exec"
 		file="/tmp/bar"
-		delay="2000"
+		delay="${foo}"
 		file-delay="10000"
 		auto-startup="false"
 		phase="123" />
 	
+	<context:property-placeholder properties-ref="props"/>
+
+	<util:properties id="props">
+		<prop key="foo">2000</prop>
+		<prop key="empty"></prop>
+	</util:properties>
+
 	<int-file:tail-inbound-channel-adapter id="apacheEndReopen"
 		channel="input"
 		task-executor="exec"