diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/MessageChannelTemplate.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/MessageChannelTemplate.java
index dd0bbe797d..fe83399f46 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/MessageChannelTemplate.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/MessageChannelTemplate.java
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ public class MessageChannelTemplate implements InitializingBean {
 
 	protected final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(this.getClass());
 
+	private volatile MessageChannel defaultChannel;
+
 	private volatile long sendTimeout = -1;
 
 	private volatile long receiveTimeout = -1;
@@ -70,6 +72,29 @@ public class MessageChannelTemplate implements InitializingBean {
 	private final Object initializationMonitor = new Object();
 
 
+	/**
+	 * Create a MessageChannelTemplate with no default channel. Note, that one
+	 * may be provided by invoking {@link #setDefaultChannel(MessageChannel)}.
+	 */
+	public MessageChannelTemplate() {
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Create a MessageChannelTemplate with the given default channel.
+	 */
+	public MessageChannelTemplate(MessageChannel defaultChannel) {
+		this.defaultChannel = defaultChannel;
+	}
+
+
+	/**
+	 * Specify the default MessageChannel to use when invoking the send and/or
+	 * receive methods that do not expect a channel parameter.
+	 */
+	public void setDefaultChannel(MessageChannel defaultChannel) {
+		this.defaultChannel = defaultChannel;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Specify the timeout value to use for send operations.
 	 * 
@@ -137,6 +162,10 @@ public class MessageChannelTemplate implements InitializingBean {
 		}
 	}
 
+	public boolean send(final Message<?> message) {
+		return this.send(message, this.getRequiredDefaultChannel());
+	}
+
 	public boolean send(final Message<?> message, final MessageChannel channel) {
 		TransactionTemplate txTemplate = this.getTransactionTemplate();
 		if (txTemplate != null) {
@@ -149,6 +178,13 @@ public class MessageChannelTemplate implements InitializingBean {
 		return this.doSend(message, channel);
 	}
 
+	public Message<?> receive() {
+		MessageChannel channel = this.getRequiredDefaultChannel();
+		Assert.state(channel instanceof PollableChannel,
+				"The 'defaultChannel' must be a PollableChannel for receive operations.");
+		return this.receive((PollableChannel) channel);
+	}
+
 	public Message<?> receive(final PollableChannel channel) {
 		TransactionTemplate txTemplate = this.getTransactionTemplate();
 		if (txTemplate != null) {
@@ -161,6 +197,10 @@ public class MessageChannelTemplate implements InitializingBean {
 		return this.doReceive(channel);
 	}
 
+	public Message<?> sendAndReceive(final Message<?> request) {
+		return this.sendAndReceive(request, this.getRequiredDefaultChannel());
+	}
+
 	public Message<?> sendAndReceive(final Message<?> request, final MessageChannel channel) {
 		TransactionTemplate txTemplate = this.getTransactionTemplate();
 		if (txTemplate != null) {
@@ -206,6 +246,13 @@ public class MessageChannelTemplate implements InitializingBean {
 		return this.doReceive(returnAddress);
 	}
 
+	private MessageChannel getRequiredDefaultChannel() {
+		Assert.state(this.defaultChannel != null,
+				"No 'defaultChannel' specified for MessageChannelTemplate. "
+				+ "Unable to invoke methods without a channel argument.");
+		return this.defaultChannel;
+	}
+
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	private static class TemporaryReturnAddress implements PollableChannel {
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/MessageChannelTemplateTests.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/MessageChannelTemplateTests.java
index 8a90fde55c..24de10a9b3 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/MessageChannelTemplateTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/MessageChannelTemplateTests.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 package org.springframework.integration.channel;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -64,14 +66,140 @@ public class MessageChannelTemplateTests {
 
 
 	@Test
-	public void testSendAndReceive() {
+	public void send() {
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate();
+		QueueChannel channel = new QueueChannel();
+		template.send(new StringMessage("test"), channel);
+		Message<?> reply = channel.receive(0);
+		assertNotNull(reply);
+		assertEquals("test", reply.getPayload());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sendWithDefaultChannelProvidedBySetter() {
+		QueueChannel channel = new QueueChannel();
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate();
+		template.setDefaultChannel(channel);
+		template.send(new StringMessage("test"));
+		Message<?> reply = channel.receive(0);
+		assertNotNull(reply);
+		assertEquals("test", reply.getPayload());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sendWithDefaultChannelProvidedByConstructor() {
+		QueueChannel channel = new QueueChannel();
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate(channel);
+		template.send(new StringMessage("test"));
+		Message<?> reply = channel.receive(0);
+		assertNotNull(reply);
+		assertEquals("test", reply.getPayload());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sendWithExplicitChannelTakesPrecedenceOverDefault() {
+		QueueChannel explicitChannel = new QueueChannel();
+		QueueChannel defaultChannel = new QueueChannel();
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate(defaultChannel);
+		template.send(new StringMessage("test"), explicitChannel);
+		Message<?> reply = explicitChannel.receive(0);
+		assertNotNull(reply);
+		assertEquals("test", reply.getPayload());
+		assertNull(defaultChannel.receive(0));
+	}
+
+	@Test(expected = IllegalStateException.class)
+	public void sendWithoutChannelArgFailsIfNoDefaultAvailable() {
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate();
+		template.send(new StringMessage("test"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void receive() {
+		QueueChannel channel = new QueueChannel();
+		channel.send(new StringMessage("test"));
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate();
+		Message<?> reply = template.receive(channel);
+		assertEquals("test", reply.getPayload());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void receiveWithDefaultChannelProvidedBySetter() {
+		QueueChannel channel = new QueueChannel();
+		channel.send(new StringMessage("test"));
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate();
+		template.setDefaultChannel(channel);
+		Message<?> reply = template.receive();
+		assertEquals("test", reply.getPayload());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void receiveWithDefaultChannelProvidedByConstructor() {
+		QueueChannel channel = new QueueChannel();
+		channel.send(new StringMessage("test"));
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate(channel);
+		Message<?> reply = template.receive();
+		assertEquals("test", reply.getPayload());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void receiveWithExplicitChannelTakesPrecedenceOverDefault() {
+		QueueChannel explicitChannel = new QueueChannel();
+		QueueChannel defaultChannel = new QueueChannel();
+		explicitChannel.send(new StringMessage("test"));
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate(defaultChannel);
+		template.setReceiveTimeout(0);
+		Message<?> reply = template.receive(explicitChannel);
+		assertEquals("test", reply.getPayload());
+		assertNull(template.receive());
+	}
+
+	@Test(expected = IllegalStateException.class)
+	public void receiveWithoutChannelArgFailsIfNoDefaultAvailable() {
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate();
+		template.receive();
+	}
+
+	@Test(expected = IllegalStateException.class)
+	public void receiveWithNonPollableDefaultFails() {
+		DirectChannel channel = new DirectChannel();
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate(channel);
+		template.receive();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sendAndReceive() {
 		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate();
 		Message<?> reply = template.sendAndReceive(new StringMessage("test"), this.requestChannel);
 		assertEquals("TEST", reply.getPayload());
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void testSendWithReturnAddress() throws InterruptedException {
+	public void sendAndReceiveWithDefaultChannel() {
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate();
+		template.setDefaultChannel(this.requestChannel);
+		Message<?> reply = template.sendAndReceive(new StringMessage("test"));
+		assertEquals("TEST", reply.getPayload());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sendAndReceiveWithExplicitChannelTakesPrecedenceOverDefault() {
+		QueueChannel defaultChannel = new QueueChannel();
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate(defaultChannel);
+		Message<?> message = new StringMessage("test");
+		Message<?> reply = template.sendAndReceive(message, this.requestChannel);
+		assertEquals("TEST", reply.getPayload());
+		assertNull(defaultChannel.receive(0));
+	}
+
+	@Test(expected = IllegalStateException.class)
+	public void sendAndReceiveWithoutChannelArgFailsIfNoDefaultAvailable() {
+		MessageChannelTemplate template = new MessageChannelTemplate();
+		template.sendAndReceive(new StringMessage("test"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void sendWithReturnAddress() throws InterruptedException {
 		final List<String> replies = new ArrayList<String>(3);
 		final CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(3);
 		MessageChannel replyChannel = new MessageChannel() {