diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/GatewayProxyFactoryBean.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/GatewayProxyFactoryBean.java
index e1a7f6d99d..de5b7eb6de 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/GatewayProxyFactoryBean.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/GatewayProxyFactoryBean.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2010 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2011 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.
@@ -19,9 +19,8 @@ package org.springframework.integration.gateway;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.lang.reflect.ParameterizedType;
 import java.lang.reflect.Type;
-import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.lang.reflect.UndeclaredThrowableException;
 import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
@@ -269,7 +268,7 @@ public class GatewayProxyFactoryBean extends AbstractEndpoint implements Trackab
 			return this.invokeGatewayMethod(invocation);
 		}
 		catch (Throwable e) {
-			this.rethrowExceptionInThrowsClauseIfPossible(e, invocation.getMethod());
+			this.rethrowExceptionCauseIfPossible(e, invocation.getMethod());
 			return null; // preceding call should always throw something
 		}
 	}
@@ -307,11 +306,19 @@ public class GatewayProxyFactoryBean extends AbstractEndpoint implements Trackab
 		return (response != null) ? this.convert(response, returnType) : null;
 	}
 
-	private void rethrowExceptionInThrowsClauseIfPossible(Throwable originalException, Method method) throws Throwable {
-		List<Class<?>> exceptionTypes = Arrays.asList(method.getExceptionTypes());
+	private void rethrowExceptionCauseIfPossible(Throwable originalException, Method method) throws Throwable {
+		Class<?>[] exceptionTypes = method.getExceptionTypes();
 		Throwable t = originalException;
 		while (t != null) {
-			if (exceptionTypes.contains(t.getClass())) {
+			for (Class<?> exceptionType : exceptionTypes) {
+				if (exceptionType.isAssignableFrom(t.getClass())) {
+					throw t;
+				}
+			}
+			if (t instanceof RuntimeException
+					&& !(t instanceof MessagingException)
+					&& !(t instanceof UndeclaredThrowableException)
+					&& !(t instanceof IllegalStateException && ("Unexpected exception thrown").equals(t.getMessage()))) {
 				throw t;
 			}
 			t = t.getCause();
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/GatewayInvokingMessageHandlerTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/GatewayInvokingMessageHandlerTests.java
index e4f799533d..7355c60d18 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/GatewayInvokingMessageHandlerTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/GatewayInvokingMessageHandlerTests.java
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ public class GatewayInvokingMessageHandlerTests {
 			gatewayWithError.process("echoWithRuntimeExceptionChannel");
 			Assert.fail();
 		}
-		catch (MessageHandlingException e) {
-			Assert.assertEquals("echoWithRuntimeExceptionChannel", e.getFailedMessage().getPayload());
+		catch (SampleRuntimeException e) {
+			Assert.assertEquals("echoWithRuntimeExceptionChannel", e.getMessage());
 		}
 		
 		try {
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ public class GatewayInvokingMessageHandlerTests {
 			Assert.fail();
 		}
 		catch (Exception e) {
-			Assert.assertTrue(e instanceof MessageHandlingException);
+			Assert.assertEquals(SampleRuntimeException.class, e.getClass());
 		}
 	}
 	
@@ -164,27 +164,38 @@ public class GatewayInvokingMessageHandlerTests {
 
 
 	public static class SimpleService {
+
 		public String echo(String value) {
 			return "echo:" + value;
 		}
-		public RuntimeException echoWithRuntimeException(String value) {
-			throw new RuntimeException(value);
+
+		public String echoWithRuntimeException(String value) {
+			throw new SampleRuntimeException(value);
 		}
 
-		public MessageHandlingException echoWithMessagingException(String value) {
+		public String echoWithMessagingException(String value) {
 			throw new MessageHandlingException(new GenericMessage<String>(value));
 		}
-		public RuntimeException echoWithErrorAsync(String value) {
-			throw new RuntimeException(value);
+
+		public String echoWithErrorAsync(String value) {
+			throw new SampleRuntimeException(value);
 		}
 	}
 
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("serial")
 	public static class SampleCheckedException extends Exception {
-		public SampleCheckedException(String message){
+		public SampleCheckedException(String message) {
 			super(message);
 		}
 	}
 
+
+	@SuppressWarnings("serial")
+	public static class SampleRuntimeException extends RuntimeException {
+		public SampleRuntimeException(String message) {
+			super(message);
+		}		
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/InnerGatewayWithChainTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/InnerGatewayWithChainTests.java
index c46c978a1a..d8a5ac9dc1 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/InnerGatewayWithChainTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/gateway/InnerGatewayWithChainTests.java
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import org.mockito.Mockito;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.integration.Message;
-import org.springframework.integration.MessageHandlingException;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.SubscribableChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.endpoint.SourcePollingChannelAdapter;
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ public class InnerGatewayWithChainTests {
 	}
 	
 	// if no error channels explicitly defined exception is rethrown
-	@Test(expected=MessageHandlingException.class)
+	@Test(expected=ArithmeticException.class)
 	public void testGatewaysNoErrorChannel(){
 		testGatewayWithNoErrorChannelAAA.echo(0);
 	}