diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParser.java b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParser.java
index 68064dd597..cf4910a16c 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParser.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParser.java
@@ -52,12 +52,16 @@ public class XPathRouterParser extends AbstractConsumerEndpointParser {
 
 		boolean multiChannel = Boolean.parseBoolean(element.getAttribute("multi-channel"));
 		String xPathExpressionRef = element.getAttribute("xpath-expression-ref");
+		String channelResolver = element.getAttribute("channel-resolver");
+		String resolutionRequired = element.getAttribute("resolution-required");
+		
 		NodeList xPathExpressionNodes = element.getElementsByTagNameNS(
 				element.getNamespaceURI(), "xpath-expression");
 		Assert.isTrue(xPathExpressionNodes.getLength() < 2,
 				"Only one xpath-expression child can be specified.");
 		boolean xPathExpressionChildPresent = (xPathExpressionNodes.getLength() == 1);
 		boolean xPathReferencePresent = StringUtils.hasText(xPathExpressionRef);
+		
 		Assert.isTrue(xPathExpressionChildPresent ^ xPathReferencePresent,
 				"Exactly one of 'xpath-expression' or 'xpath-expression-ref' is required.");
 		if (multiChannel) {
@@ -74,6 +78,16 @@ public class XPathRouterParser extends AbstractConsumerEndpointParser {
 		else { 
 			builder.addConstructorArgReference(xPathExpressionRef);
 		}
+		
+		if(StringUtils.hasText(resolutionRequired)){
+			builder.addPropertyValue("resolutionRequired", Boolean.parseBoolean(resolutionRequired));
+		}
+		
+		if(StringUtils.hasText(channelResolver)){
+			builder.addPropertyReference("channelResolver", channelResolver);
+		}
+		
+		
 		return builder;
 	}
 
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/spring-integration-xml-1.0.xsd b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/spring-integration-xml-1.0.xsd
index 505eb22ed3..747c2b6401 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/spring-integration-xml-1.0.xsd
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/spring-integration-xml-1.0.xsd
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@
 			<xsd:attribute name="input-channel" type="xsd:string" use="required"/>
 			<xsd:attribute name="xpath-expression-ref" type="xsd:string" use="optional"/>
 			<xsd:attribute name="multi-channel" type="xsd:string" default="false"/>
+			<xsd:attribute name="channel-resolver" type="xsd:string" use="optional"/>
+			<xsd:attribute name="resolution-required" type="xsd:boolean" use="optional" />
 		</xsd:complexType>
 	</xsd:element>
 
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/router/XPathSingleChannelRouter.java b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/router/XPathSingleChannelRouter.java
index fe2a8da974..d77479ac5a 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/router/XPathSingleChannelRouter.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/router/XPathSingleChannelRouter.java
@@ -76,12 +76,10 @@ public class XPathSingleChannelRouter extends AbstractXPathRouter  {
 	public String[] determineTargetChannelNames(Message<?> message) {
 		Node node = getConverter().convertToNode(message.getPayload());
 		String result = getXPathExpression().evaluateAsString(node);
-		if ("".equals(result)) {
-			throw new MessagingException(message,"XPath expression must not be empty");
-		}
-		if (result == null) {
+		if (result == null || "".equals(result)) {
 			return null;
 		}
+		
 		return new String[] { result };
 	}
 
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/StubChannelResolver.java b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/StubChannelResolver.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..92e3acb756
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/StubChannelResolver.java
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2007 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.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+/**
+ * 
+ */
+package org.springframework.integration.xml.config;
+
+import org.springframework.integration.channel.ChannelResolver;
+import org.springframework.integration.core.MessageChannel;
+
+class StubChannelResolver implements ChannelResolver{
+
+	public MessageChannel resolveChannelName(String channelName) {
+		return null;
+	}
+	
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java
index b1db3ed110..7e5890f7dd 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/config/XPathRouterParserTests.java
@@ -18,10 +18,9 @@ package org.springframework.integration.xml.config;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 
-import org.w3c.dom.Document;
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Test;
-
+import org.springframework.beans.DirectFieldAccessor;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Qualifier;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.AutowireCapableBeanFactory;
@@ -32,6 +31,7 @@ import org.springframework.integration.endpoint.EventDrivenConsumer;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.GenericMessage;
 import org.springframework.integration.xml.util.XmlTestUtil;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
+import org.w3c.dom.Document;
 
 /**
  * @author Jonas Partner
@@ -114,5 +114,50 @@ public class XPathRouterParserTests {
 		inputChannel.send(docMessage);
 		assertEquals("Wrong number of messages", 1, outputChannel.getMesssageCount());
 	}
-
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testSetChannelResolver() throws Exception {
+		Document doc = XmlTestUtil.getDocumentForString("<name>outputOne</name>");
+		GenericMessage<Document> docMessage = new GenericMessage<Document>(doc);
+		StringBuffer contextBuffer = new StringBuffer("<si-xml:xpath-router id='router' channel-resolver='stubResolver' input-channel='test-input'><si-xml:xpath-expression expression='/name'/></si-xml:xpath-router>");
+		contextBuffer.append("<bean id='stubResolver' class='").append(StubChannelResolver.class.getName()).append("'/>");
+		EventDrivenConsumer consumer = buildContext(contextBuffer.toString());
+		
+		DirectFieldAccessor accessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(consumer);
+		Object handler = accessor.getPropertyValue("handler");
+		accessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(handler);
+		Object resolver = accessor.getPropertyValue("channelResolver");
+		assertEquals("Wrong channel resolver ",StubChannelResolver.class, resolver.getClass());
+		
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testSetResolutionRequiredFalse() throws Exception {
+		Document doc = XmlTestUtil.getDocumentForString("<name>outputOne</name>");
+		GenericMessage<Document> docMessage = new GenericMessage<Document>(doc);
+		StringBuffer contextBuffer = new StringBuffer("<si-xml:xpath-router id='router' resolution-required='false' input-channel='test-input'><si-xml:xpath-expression expression='/name'/></si-xml:xpath-router>");
+		EventDrivenConsumer consumer = buildContext(contextBuffer.toString());
+		
+		DirectFieldAccessor accessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(consumer);
+		Object handler = accessor.getPropertyValue("handler");
+		accessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(handler);
+		Object resolutionRequired = accessor.getPropertyValue("resolutionRequired");
+		assertEquals("Resolution required not set to false ", false, resolutionRequired);
+		
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void testSetResolutionRequiredTrue() throws Exception {
+		Document doc = XmlTestUtil.getDocumentForString("<name>outputOne</name>");
+		GenericMessage<Document> docMessage = new GenericMessage<Document>(doc);
+		StringBuffer contextBuffer = new StringBuffer("<si-xml:xpath-router id='router' resolution-required='true' input-channel='test-input'><si-xml:xpath-expression expression='/name'/></si-xml:xpath-router>");
+		EventDrivenConsumer consumer = buildContext(contextBuffer.toString());
+		
+		DirectFieldAccessor accessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(consumer);
+		Object handler = accessor.getPropertyValue("handler");
+		accessor = new DirectFieldAccessor(handler);
+		Object resolutionRequired = accessor.getPropertyValue("resolutionRequired");
+		assertEquals("Resolution required not set to true ", true, resolutionRequired);
+	}
+	
 }
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/router/XPathSingleChannelRouterTests.java b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/router/XPathSingleChannelRouterTests.java
index 7547b009c9..b9b3f331ce 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/router/XPathSingleChannelRouterTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/xml/router/XPathSingleChannelRouterTests.java
@@ -19,15 +19,14 @@ package org.springframework.integration.xml.router;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
-import org.w3c.dom.Document;
-import org.w3c.dom.Node;
-
 import org.springframework.integration.core.MessagingException;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.GenericMessage;
 import org.springframework.integration.message.StringMessage;
 import org.springframework.integration.xml.util.XmlTestUtil;
 import org.springframework.xml.xpath.XPathExpression;
 import org.springframework.xml.xpath.XPathExpressionFactory;
+import org.w3c.dom.Document;
+import org.w3c.dom.Node;
 
 /**
  * @author Jonas Partner
@@ -62,16 +61,18 @@ public class XPathSingleChannelRouterTests {
 	public void testNodePayload() throws Exception {
 		XPathSingleChannelRouter router = new XPathSingleChannelRouter("./three/text()");
 		Document testDocument = XmlTestUtil.getDocumentForString("<one><two><three>bob</three></two></one>");
-		String[] channelNames = router.determineTargetChannelNames(new GenericMessage<Node>(
-				testDocument.getElementsByTagName("two").item(0)));
+		String[] channelNames = router.determineTargetChannelNames(new GenericMessage<Node>(testDocument
+				.getElementsByTagName("two").item(0)));
 		assertEquals("bob", channelNames[0]);
 	}
 
-	@Test(expected=MessagingException.class)
+	@Test
 	public void testEvaluationReturnsEmptyString() throws Exception {
-		XPathSingleChannelRouter router = new XPathSingleChannelRouter("/yellow");
-		Document testDocument = XmlTestUtil.getDocumentForString("<one><two><three>bob</three></two></one>");
-		router.determineTargetChannelNames(new GenericMessage<Node>(testDocument));
+		Document doc = XmlTestUtil.getDocumentForString("<doc type='one' />");
+		XPathExpression expression = XPathExpressionFactory.createXPathExpression("/somethingelse/@type");
+		XPathSingleChannelRouter router = new XPathSingleChannelRouter(expression);
+		Object channelNames = router.determineTargetChannelNames(new GenericMessage<Document>(doc));
+		assertEquals("Wrong channel name", null, channelNames);
 	}
 
 }