diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/channel/BeanFactoryChannelResolver.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/channel/BeanFactoryChannelResolver.java
index d3ef03bd46..8585e94685 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/channel/BeanFactoryChannelResolver.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/support/channel/BeanFactoryChannelResolver.java
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  * <p>Will lookup Spring managed beans identified by bean name,
  * expecting them to be of type {@link MessageChannel}.
  *
+ * Consults a {@link HeaderChannelRegistry}, if available, if the bean is not found.
+ *
  * @author Mark Fisher
+ * @author Gary Russell
+ *
  * @see org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactory
  */
 public class BeanFactoryChannelResolver implements ChannelResolver, BeanFactoryAware {
@@ -82,7 +86,7 @@ public class BeanFactoryChannelResolver implements ChannelResolver, BeanFactoryA
 					HeaderChannelRegistry.class);
 		}
 		catch (Exception e) {
-			logger.warn("No HeaderChannelRegistry found", e);
+			logger.debug("No HeaderChannelRegistry found");
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -100,7 +104,8 @@ public class BeanFactoryChannelResolver implements ChannelResolver, BeanFactoryA
 				}
 			}
 			throw new ChannelResolutionException(
-					"failed to look up MessageChannel bean with name '" + name + "'", e);
+					"failed to look up MessageChannel with name '" + name + "' in the BeanFactory"
+					+ (this.replyChannelRegistry == null ? " (and there is no HeaderChannelRegistry present)." : "."), e);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/registry/HeaderChannelRegistryTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/registry/HeaderChannelRegistryTests.java
index e5d9091b66..dc6e4cd4c9 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/registry/HeaderChannelRegistryTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/channel/registry/HeaderChannelRegistryTests.java
@@ -22,11 +22,18 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 import org.hamcrest.Matchers;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.mockito.invocation.InvocationOnMock;
+import org.mockito.stubbing.Answer;
 
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactory;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.NoSuchBeanDefinitionException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.integration.Message;
 import org.springframework.integration.MessageChannel;
@@ -34,11 +41,15 @@ import org.springframework.integration.channel.DefaultHeaderChannelRegistry;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.DirectChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.MessagePublishingErrorHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.QueueChannel;
+import org.springframework.integration.context.IntegrationContextUtils;
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessagingTemplate;
 import org.springframework.integration.handler.AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.ErrorMessage;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.GenericMessage;
 import org.springframework.integration.support.MessageBuilder;
+import org.springframework.integration.support.channel.BeanFactoryChannelResolver;
+import org.springframework.integration.support.channel.ChannelResolutionException;
+import org.springframework.integration.support.channel.HeaderChannelRegistry;
 import org.springframework.scheduling.TaskScheduler;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
@@ -143,6 +154,53 @@ public class HeaderChannelRegistryTests {
 		registry.stop();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testBFCRWithRegistry() {
+		BeanFactoryChannelResolver resolver = new BeanFactoryChannelResolver();
+		BeanFactory beanFactory = mock(BeanFactory.class);
+		when(beanFactory.getBean(IntegrationContextUtils.INTEGRATION_HEADER_CHANNEL_REGISTRY_BEAN_NAME,
+						HeaderChannelRegistry.class))
+			.thenReturn(mock(HeaderChannelRegistry.class));
+		doAnswer(new Answer<Object>(){
+
+			@Override
+			public Object answer(InvocationOnMock invocation) throws Throwable {
+				throw new NoSuchBeanDefinitionException("bar");
+			}
+		}).when(beanFactory).getBean("foo", MessageChannel.class);
+		resolver.setBeanFactory(beanFactory);
+		try {
+			resolver.resolveChannelName("foo");
+			fail("Expected exception");
+		}
+		catch (ChannelResolutionException e){
+			assertThat(e.getMessage(),
+				Matchers.equalTo("failed to look up MessageChannel with name 'foo' in the BeanFactory."));
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testBFCRNoRegistry() {
+		BeanFactoryChannelResolver resolver = new BeanFactoryChannelResolver();
+		BeanFactory beanFactory = mock(BeanFactory.class);
+		doAnswer(new Answer<Object>(){
+
+			@Override
+			public Object answer(InvocationOnMock invocation) throws Throwable {
+				throw new NoSuchBeanDefinitionException("bar");
+			}
+		}).when(beanFactory).getBean("foo", MessageChannel.class);
+		resolver.setBeanFactory(beanFactory);
+		try {
+			resolver.resolveChannelName("foo");
+			fail("Expected exception");
+		}
+		catch (ChannelResolutionException e){
+			assertThat(e.getMessage(),
+				Matchers.equalTo("failed to look up MessageChannel with name 'foo' in the BeanFactory (and there is no HeaderChannelRegistry present)."));
+		}
+	}
+
 	public static class Foo extends AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler {
 
 		@Override