diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/IdGeneratorConfigurer.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/IdGeneratorConfigurer.java
index 7da7505c54..39038d61ba 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/IdGeneratorConfigurer.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/IdGeneratorConfigurer.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanDefinitionStoreException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.NoSuchBeanDefinitionException;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationListener;
@@ -29,9 +30,7 @@ import org.springframework.context.event.ContextClosedEvent;
 import org.springframework.context.event.ContextRefreshedEvent;
 import org.springframework.integration.MessageHeaders;
 import org.springframework.integration.MessageHeaders.IdGenerator;
-import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;
-import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
  * @author Oleg Zhurakousky
@@ -42,15 +41,14 @@ public final class IdGeneratorConfigurer implements ApplicationListener<Applicat
 	private final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(getClass());
 	
 	private static volatile String generatorContextId;
-
-
+	
 	public void onApplicationEvent(ApplicationContextEvent event) {
+		
 		ApplicationContext context = event.getApplicationContext();
+		
 		if (event instanceof ContextRefreshedEvent){
 			boolean contextHasIdGenerator = context.getBeanNamesForType(IdGenerator.class).length > 0;
 			if (contextHasIdGenerator) {
-				Assert.state(!StringUtils.hasText(IdGeneratorConfigurer.generatorContextId),
-						"'MessageHeaders.idGenerator' has already been set and can not be set again");
 				if (this.setIdGenerator(context)) {
 					IdGeneratorConfigurer.generatorContextId = context.getId();
 				}
@@ -62,7 +60,9 @@ public final class IdGeneratorConfigurer implements ApplicationListener<Applicat
 				IdGeneratorConfigurer.generatorContextId = null;
 			}
 		}	
+	
 	}
+	
 
 	private boolean setIdGenerator(ApplicationContext context) {
 		try {
@@ -72,11 +72,24 @@ public final class IdGeneratorConfigurer implements ApplicationListener<Applicat
 			}
 			Field idGeneratorField = ReflectionUtils.findField(MessageHeaders.class, "idGenerator");
 			ReflectionUtils.makeAccessible(idGeneratorField);
+			IdGenerator setGenerator = (IdGenerator) ReflectionUtils.getField(idGeneratorField, null);
+			if (setGenerator != null){
+				if (setGenerator.equals(idGeneratorBean)){
+					// already set, nothing needs to be done
+					return false;
+				}
+				else {
+					throw new BeanDefinitionStoreException("'MessageHeaders.idGenerator' has already been set and can not be set again");
+				}
+			}
 			if (logger.isInfoEnabled()) {
 				logger.info("Message IDs will be generated using custom IdGenerator [" + idGeneratorBean.getClass() + "]");
 			}
 			ReflectionUtils.setField(idGeneratorField, null, idGeneratorBean);
 		}
+		catch (BeanDefinitionStoreException bdse){
+			throw bdse;
+		}
 		catch (NoSuchBeanDefinitionException e) {
 			// We will use the default.
 			if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
@@ -107,4 +120,6 @@ public final class IdGeneratorConfigurer implements ApplicationListener<Applicat
 		}
 	}
 
+	
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context-withGenerator.xml b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context-withGenerator.xml
index 428ff97835..ab401406b1 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context-withGenerator.xml
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context-withGenerator.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 	
 	<bean id="idGenerator" class="org.mockito.Mockito" factory-method="spy">
 		<constructor-arg>
-			<bean class="org.springframework.integration.core.MessageIdGenerationTests.SampleIdGeneratorA"/>
+			<bean class="org.springframework.integration.core.MessageIdGenerationTests.SampleIdGenerator"/>
 		</constructor-arg>
 	</bean>
 	
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context.xml b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context.xml
index 5bc2179aab..7526840f18 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context.xml
@@ -4,13 +4,7 @@
 	xmlns:int="http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration"
 	xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd
 		http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration/spring-integration-2.0.xsd">
-	
-<!-- 	<bean id="idGenerator" class="org.mockito.Mockito" factory-method="spy"> -->
-<!-- 		<constructor-arg> -->
-<!-- 			<bean class="org.springframework.integration.core.MessageIdGenerationTests.SampleIdGenerator"/> -->
-<!-- 		</constructor-arg> -->
-<!-- 	</bean> -->
-	
+
 	<int:channel id="input"/>
 	
 	<int:service-activator input-channel="input" output-channel="nextA" expression="'nextA'"/>
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests.java
index 1e9506f5b5..646e7ae038 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import java.util.UUID;
 import org.junit.Ignore;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanDefinitionStoreException;
 import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.support.GenericXmlApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.integration.MessageChannel;
@@ -123,9 +124,29 @@ public class MessageIdGenerationTests {
 		verify(idGenerator, times(0)).generateId();
 		parent.close();
 	}
-	
-	@Test(expected=IllegalStateException.class)
-	public void testCustomIdGenerationWithParentChileIndependentCreationTwoChildrenTwoRegistrars(){
+	// similar to the last test, but should not fail because child AC is closed before second child AC is started
+	@Test
+	public void testCustomIdGenerationWithParentChildIndependentCreationChildrenRegistrarsOneAtTheTime(){
+		ClassPathXmlApplicationContext parent = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("MessageIdGenerationTests-context.xml", this.getClass());
+		
+		GenericXmlApplicationContext childA = new GenericXmlApplicationContext();
+		childA.load("classpath:/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context-withGenerator.xml");
+		childA.setParent(parent);
+		childA.refresh();
+		
+		childA.close();
+		
+		GenericXmlApplicationContext childB = new GenericXmlApplicationContext();
+		childB.load("classpath:/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context-withGenerator.xml");
+		childB.setParent(parent);
+		childB.refresh();
+		
+		parent.close();
+		childB.close();
+	}
+	// should fail because both parent and child define IdGenerator instances
+	@Test(expected=BeanDefinitionStoreException.class)
+	public void testCustomIdGenerationWithParentChildIndependentCreation(){
 		ClassPathXmlApplicationContext parent = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("MessageIdGenerationTests-context-withGenerator.xml", this.getClass());
 		
 		GenericXmlApplicationContext childA = new GenericXmlApplicationContext();
@@ -133,6 +154,21 @@ public class MessageIdGenerationTests {
 		childA.setParent(parent);
 		childA.refresh();
 	}
+	// should fail because second child attempts to register another instance of IdGenerator
+	@Test(expected=BeanDefinitionStoreException.class)
+	public void testCustomIdGenerationWithParentChildIndependentCreationChildrenRegistrars(){
+		ClassPathXmlApplicationContext parent = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("MessageIdGenerationTests-context.xml", this.getClass());
+		
+		GenericXmlApplicationContext childA = new GenericXmlApplicationContext();
+		childA.load("classpath:/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context-withGenerator.xml");
+		childA.setParent(parent);
+		childA.refresh();
+		
+		GenericXmlApplicationContext childB = new GenericXmlApplicationContext();
+		childB.load("classpath:/org/springframework/integration/core/MessageIdGenerationTests-context-withGenerator.xml");
+		childB.setParent(parent);
+		childB.refresh();
+	}
 	
 	@Test
 	@Ignore
@@ -178,15 +214,4 @@ public class MessageIdGenerationTests {
 			return UUID.nameUUIDFromBytes(((System.currentTimeMillis() - System.nanoTime()) + "").getBytes());
 		}
 		
-	}
-	
-	public static class SampleIdGeneratorA implements IdGenerator {
-		
-		public UUID generateId() {
-			return UUID.nameUUIDFromBytes(((System.currentTimeMillis() - System.nanoTime()) + "").getBytes());
-		}
-		
-	}
-	
-	
-}
+	}}