diff --git a/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParser.java b/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParser.java
index 0a6383ae3b..f4965cb4b4 100644
--- a/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParser.java
+++ b/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParser.java
@@ -84,23 +84,26 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterParser extends AbstractPollingInboundChann
 		String filenameRegex = element.getAttribute("filename-regex");
 		String preventDuplicates = element.getAttribute("prevent-duplicates");
 		String ignoreHidden = element.getAttribute("ignore-hidden");
-		if (!StringUtils.hasText(filenamePattern) && !StringUtils.hasText(filenameRegex)
+		String filter = element.getAttribute("filter");
+		if (!StringUtils.hasText(filter) && !StringUtils.hasText(filenamePattern) && !StringUtils.hasText(filenameRegex)
 				&& !StringUtils.hasText(preventDuplicates) && !StringUtils.hasText(ignoreHidden)) {
 			return null;
 		}
 		BeanDefinitionBuilder factoryBeanBuilder =
 				BeanDefinitionBuilder.genericBeanDefinition(FileListFilterFactoryBean.class);
 		factoryBeanBuilder.setRole(BeanDefinition.ROLE_SUPPORT);
-		IntegrationNamespaceUtils.setReferenceIfAttributeDefined(factoryBeanBuilder, element, "filter");
+		if (StringUtils.hasText(filter)) {
+			factoryBeanBuilder.addPropertyReference("filter", filter);
+		}
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(filenamePattern)) {
-			if (element.hasAttribute("filter")) {
+			if (StringUtils.hasText(filter)) {
 				parserContext.getReaderContext().error(
 						"At most one of 'filter' and 'filename-pattern' may be provided.", element);
 			}
 			factoryBeanBuilder.addPropertyValue("filenamePattern", filenamePattern);
 		}
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(filenameRegex)) {
-			if (element.hasAttribute("filter")) {
+			if (StringUtils.hasText(filter)) {
 				parserContext.getReaderContext().error(
 						"At most one of 'filter' and 'filename-regex' may be provided.", element);
 			}
diff --git a/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParserTests-context.xml b/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParserTests-context.xml
index 6e6342374d..625c973903 100644
--- a/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParserTests-context.xml
+++ b/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParserTests-context.xml
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@
 		</integration:poller>
 	</inbound-channel-adapter>
 
+	<inbound-channel-adapter id="inboundWithJustFilter"
+							 directory="${java.io.tmpdir}"
+							 filter="filter"
+							 auto-startup="false">
+		<integration:poller fixed-rate="5000" />
+	</inbound-channel-adapter>
+
 	<integration:channel id="successChannel" />
 
 	<beans:bean id="filter" class="org.springframework.integration.file.config.FileListFilterFactoryBean">
diff --git a/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParserTests.java b/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParserTests.java
index 5218b7a682..7d5547dd3c 100644
--- a/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParserTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/config/FileInboundChannelAdapterParserTests.java
@@ -16,24 +16,34 @@
 
 package org.springframework.integration.file.config;
 
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.instanceOf;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertSame;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.PriorityBlockingQueue;
 
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+
 import org.springframework.beans.DirectFieldAccessor;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Qualifier;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.AbstractMessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.file.DefaultDirectoryScanner;
 import org.springframework.integration.file.FileReadingMessageSource;
 import org.springframework.integration.file.filters.AcceptOnceFileListFilter;
+import org.springframework.integration.file.filters.FileListFilter;
+import org.springframework.integration.file.filters.IgnoreHiddenFileListFilter;
+import org.springframework.integration.test.util.TestUtils;
+import org.springframework.test.annotation.DirtiesContext;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 
@@ -45,28 +55,44 @@ import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
  */
 @ContextConfiguration
 @RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
+@DirtiesContext
 public class FileInboundChannelAdapterParserTests {
 
 	@Autowired(required = true)
 	private ApplicationContext context;
 
 	@Autowired
-	private FileReadingMessageSource source;
+	@Qualifier("inputDirPoller.adapter.source")
+	private FileReadingMessageSource inputDirPollerSource;
+
+	@Autowired
+	@Qualifier("inboundWithJustFilter.adapter.source")
+	private FileReadingMessageSource inboundWithJustFilterSource;
+
+	@Autowired
+	private FileListFilter<File> filter;
 
 	private DirectFieldAccessor accessor;
 
 	@Before
 	public void init() {
-		accessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(source);
+		accessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(inputDirPollerSource);
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void channelName() throws Exception {
-		context.getBean("inputDirPoller");
 		AbstractMessageChannel channel = context.getBean("inputDirPoller", AbstractMessageChannel.class);
 		assertEquals("Channel should be available under specified id", "inputDirPoller", channel.getComponentName());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void justFilter() throws Exception {
+		Iterator<?> filterIterator = TestUtils
+				.getPropertyValue(this.inboundWithJustFilterSource, "scanner.filter.fileFilters", Set.class).iterator();
+		assertThat(filterIterator.next(), instanceOf(IgnoreHiddenFileListFilter.class));
+		assertSame(this.filter, filterIterator.next());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void inputDirectory() {
 		File expected = new File(System.getProperty("java.io.tmpdir"));
@@ -103,6 +129,7 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterParserTests {
 
 	static class TestComparator implements Comparator<File> {
 
+		@Override
 		public int compare(File f1, File f2) {
 			return 0;
 		}