diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractConsumerEndpointParser.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractConsumerEndpointParser.java
index 3a8f2e5411..cf6e654fb2 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractConsumerEndpointParser.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/AbstractConsumerEndpointParser.java
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractConsumerEndpointParser extends AbstractSingleBeanD
 
 	private static final String SELECTOR_ATTRIBUTE = "selector";
 
-	private static final String ERROR_HANDLER_ATTRIBUTE = "error-handler";
-
 
 	@Override
 	protected final Class<?> getBeanClass(Element element) {
@@ -92,7 +90,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractConsumerEndpointParser extends AbstractSingleBeanD
 		BeanDefinitionBuilder consumerBuilder = this.parseConsumer(element, parserContext);
 		IntegrationNamespaceUtils.setReferenceIfAttributeDefined(consumerBuilder, element, OUTPUT_CHANNEL_ATTRIBUTE);
 		IntegrationNamespaceUtils.setReferenceIfAttributeDefined(consumerBuilder, element, SELECTOR_ATTRIBUTE);
-		IntegrationNamespaceUtils.setReferenceIfAttributeDefined(consumerBuilder, element, ERROR_HANDLER_ATTRIBUTE);
 		String consumerBeanName = BeanDefinitionReaderUtils.registerWithGeneratedName(
 				consumerBuilder.getBeanDefinition(), parserContext.getRegistry());
 		builder.addConstructorArgReference(consumerBeanName);
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-1.0.xsd b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-1.0.xsd
index 608edfb60e..d1e1e61933 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-1.0.xsd
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-1.0.xsd
@@ -218,7 +218,6 @@
 				<xsd:attribute name="ref" type="xsd:string"/>
 				<xsd:attribute name="method" type="xsd:string"/>
 				<xsd:attribute name="selector" type="xsd:string"/>
-				<xsd:attribute name="error-handler" type="xsd:string"/>
 			</xsd:extension>
 		</xsd:complexContent>
 	</xsd:complexType>
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/AbstractMessageConsumer.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/AbstractMessageConsumer.java
index c312dd4f21..4f6dc2d350 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/AbstractMessageConsumer.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/AbstractMessageConsumer.java
@@ -23,14 +23,13 @@ import org.springframework.integration.core.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessagingException;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageConsumer;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageHandlingException;
-import org.springframework.integration.util.ErrorHandler;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
 /**
  * Base class for MessageConsumer implementations that provides basic
  * validation and error handling capabilities. Asserts that the incoming
- * Message is not null and that it does not contain a null payload. For custom
- * error handling, provide a reference to an {@link ErrorHandler}.  
+ * Message is not null and that it does not contain a null payload. Converts
+ * checked exceptions into runtime {@link MessagingException}s. 
  * 
  * @author Mark Fisher
  */
@@ -38,49 +37,25 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageConsumer implements MessageConsumer {
 
 	protected final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(this.getClass());
 
-	private volatile ErrorHandler errorHandler;
-
-
-	/**
-	 * Provide an error handler for any Exceptions that occur
-	 * upon invocation of this consumer. If none is provided,
-	 * the Exception messages will be logged (at warn level),
-	 * and the Exception rethrown.
-	 */
-	public void setErrorHandler(ErrorHandler errorHandler) {
-		this.errorHandler = errorHandler;
-	}
 
 	public final void onMessage(Message<?> message) {
 		Assert.notNull(message == null, "Message must not be null");
 		Assert.notNull(message.getPayload(), "Message payload must not be null");
 		if (this.logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-			this.logger.debug("consumer '" + this + "' processing message: " + message);
+			this.logger.debug("consumer '" + this + "' received message: " + message);
 		}
 		try {
 			this.onMessageInternal(message);
 		}
 		catch (Exception e) {
 			if (e instanceof MessagingException) {
-				this.handleException((MessagingException) e);
-			}
-			else {
-				this.handleException(new MessageHandlingException(message,
-						"failure occurred in consumer '" + this.toString() + "'", e));
+				throw (MessagingException) e;
 			}
+			throw new MessageHandlingException(message,
+					"error occurred in consumer [" + this + "]", e);
 		}
 	}
 
-	protected void handleException(MessagingException exception) {
-		if (this.errorHandler == null) {
-			if (this.logger.isWarnEnabled()) {
-				this.logger.warn("exception occurred in consumer '" + this + "'", exception);
-			}
-			throw exception;
-		}
-		this.errorHandler.handle(exception);
-	}
-
-	protected abstract void onMessageInternal(Message<?> message);
+	protected abstract void onMessageInternal(Message<?> message) throws Exception;
 
 }
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/AbstractReplyProducingMessageConsumer.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/AbstractReplyProducingMessageConsumer.java
index a1a9b477fa..1d150921d3 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/AbstractReplyProducingMessageConsumer.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/AbstractReplyProducingMessageConsumer.java
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ package org.springframework.integration.endpoint;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactoryAware;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.BeanFactoryChannelResolver;
+import org.springframework.integration.channel.ChannelResolutionException;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.ChannelResolver;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.MessageChannelTemplate;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessageHeaders;
-import org.springframework.integration.core.MessagingException;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageBuilder;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageHandlingException;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageProducer;
@@ -153,13 +153,14 @@ public abstract class AbstractReplyProducingMessageConsumer extends AbstractMess
 					replyChannel = this.channelResolver.resolveChannelName((String) replyChannelHeader);
 				}
 				else {
-					throw new MessagingException("expected a MessageChannel or String for 'replyChannel', but type is ["
+					throw new ChannelResolutionException("expected a MessageChannel or String for 'replyChannel', but type is ["
 							+ replyChannelHeader.getClass() + "]");
 				}
 			}
 		}
 		if (replyChannel == null) {
-			throw new MessagingException("unable to resolve reply channel");
+			throw new ChannelResolutionException(
+					"unable to resolve reply channel for message: " + requestMessage);
 		}
 		return replyChannel;
 	}
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParserTests.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParserTests.java
index f30336d291..4d8a12e28d 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParserTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/EndpointParserTests.java
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import org.springframework.integration.core.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.GenericMessage;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageBuilder;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.MessageRejectedException;
-import org.springframework.integration.message.StringMessage;
 
 /**
  * @author Mark Fisher
@@ -76,16 +75,4 @@ public class EndpointParserTests {
 		inputChannel.send(message);
 	}
 
-	@Test
-	public void testEndpointWithErrorHandler() {
-		ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
-				"endpointWithErrorHandler.xml", this.getClass());		
-		MessageChannel channel = (MessageChannel) context.getBean("channel");
-		TestErrorHandler errorHandler = (TestErrorHandler) context.getBean("errorHandler");
-		assertNull(errorHandler.getLastError());
-		channel.send(new StringMessage("test"));
-		assertNotNull(errorHandler.getLastError());
-		assertEquals("intentional test failure", errorHandler.getLastError().getMessage());
-	}
-
 }
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/endpointWithErrorHandler.xml b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/endpointWithErrorHandler.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index 3cd67d2464..0000000000
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/config/endpointWithErrorHandler.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<beans:beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration"
-	xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
-	xmlns:beans="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
-	xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans
-			http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans-2.5.xsd
-			http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration
-			http://www.springframework.org/schema/integration/spring-integration-1.0.xsd">
-
-	<message-bus/>
-
-	<channel id="channel"/>
-
-	<service-activator id="endpoint" input-channel="channel" ref="testBean" error-handler="errorHandler"/>
-
-	<beans:bean id="testBean" class="org.springframework.integration.config.ExceptionThrowingTestBean"/>
-
-	<beans:bean id="errorHandler" class="org.springframework.integration.config.TestErrorHandler"/>
-
-</beans:beans>
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/ReturnAddressTests.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/ReturnAddressTests.java
index e735eff4e6..0dbe146334 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/ReturnAddressTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/ReturnAddressTests.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.integration.channel.ChannelResolutionException;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.PollableChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessageChannel;
@@ -98,17 +99,14 @@ public class ReturnAddressTests {
 		assertNull(channel2.receive(0));
 	}
 
-	@Test
+	@Test(expected = ChannelResolutionException.class)
 	public void returnAddressFallbackButNotAvailable() {
 		ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
 				"returnAddressTests.xml", this.getClass());
 		MessageChannel channel3 = (MessageChannel) context.getBean("channel3");
-		PollableChannel errorChannel = (PollableChannel) context.getBean("errorChannel");
 		context.start();
 		StringMessage message = new StringMessage("*");
 		channel3.send(message);
-		Message<?> errorMessage = errorChannel.receive(3000);
-		assertNotNull(errorMessage.getPayload());
 	}
 
 	@Test
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/returnAddressTests.xml b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/returnAddressTests.xml
index 92f0a5cad8..88d7011bc1 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/returnAddressTests.xml
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/returnAddressTests.xml
@@ -21,19 +21,12 @@
 	<si:channel id="replyChannel">
 		<si:queue capacity="5"/>
 	</si:channel>
-	<si:channel id="errorChannel">
-		<si:queue capacity="5"/>
-	</si:channel>
 
 	<si:service-activator input-channel="channel1" ref="testBean" method="duplicate" output-channel="channel2"/>
 	<si:service-activator input-channel="channel2" ref="testBean" method="duplicate" output-channel="channel3"/>
-	<si:service-activator input-channel="channel3" ref="testBean" method="duplicate" error-handler="errorHandler"/>
+	<si:service-activator input-channel="channel3" ref="testBean" method="duplicate"/>
 	<si:service-activator input-channel="channel4" ref="testBean" method="duplicate" output-channel="replyChannel"/>
 
-	<bean id="errorHandler" class="org.springframework.integration.channel.MessagePublishingErrorHandler">
-		<property name="errorChannel" ref="errorChannel"/>
-	</bean>
-
 	<bean id="testBean" class="org.springframework.integration.endpoint.TestBean"/>
 
 </beans>