diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageProcessor.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageProcessor.java
index 0c90e19702..fe75788b4c 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageProcessor.java
@@ -43,9 +43,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageProcessor implements MessageProcessor {
 		return this.evaluationContext;
 	}
 
-	protected Object evaluateExpression(Expression expression, Message<?> message) {
+	protected Object evaluateExpression(Expression expression, Message<?> message, Class<?> expectedType) {
 		try {
-			return expression.getValue(this.evaluationContext, message);
+			return (expectedType != null && expectedType != void.class)
+				? expression.getValue(this.evaluationContext, message, expectedType)
+				: expression.getValue(this.evaluationContext, message);
 		}
 		catch (EvaluationException e) {
 			Throwable cause = e.getCause();
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor.java
index e07af37354..5e13e63032 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor.java
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ public class ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor extends AbstractMessageProcess
 
 	private final Expression expression;
 
+	private volatile Class<?> expectedType = null;
+
 
 	public ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor(String expression) {
 		try {
@@ -49,8 +51,12 @@ public class ExpressionEvaluatingMessageProcessor extends AbstractMessageProcess
 	}
 
 
+	public void setExpectedType(Class<?> expectedType) {
+		this.expectedType = expectedType;
+	}
+
 	public Object processMessage(Message<?> message) {
-		return this.evaluateExpression(this.expression, message);
+		return this.evaluateExpression(this.expression, message, this.expectedType);
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingMessageProcessor.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingMessageProcessor.java
index 685db2c6e3..00f8365a06 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingMessageProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/MethodInvokingMessageProcessor.java
@@ -159,7 +159,8 @@ public class MethodInvokingMessageProcessor extends AbstractMessageProcessor {
 		for (HandlerMethod candidate : candidates) {
 			try {
 				Expression expression = candidate.getExpression();
-				Object result = this.evaluateExpression(expression, message);
+				Class<?> expectedType = candidate.method.getReturnType();
+				Object result = this.evaluateExpression(expression, message, expectedType);
 				if (this.requiresReply) {
 					Assert.notNull(result, "Expression evaluation result was null, but this processor requires a reply.");
 				}