diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterFactoryBean.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterFactoryBean.java
index 9da9f5f697..c1713008ca 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterFactoryBean.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/RouterFactoryBean.java
@@ -87,10 +87,6 @@ public class RouterFactoryBean extends AbstractStandardMessageHandlerFactoryBean
 	MessageHandler createMethodInvokingHandler(Object targetObject, String targetMethodName) {
 		Assert.notNull(targetObject, "target object must not be null");
 		AbstractMappingMessageRouter router = this.extractTypeIfPossible(targetObject, AbstractMappingMessageRouter.class);
-		if (this.channelResolver != null){
-			logger.warn("'channel-resolver' attribute has been deprecated in favor of using SpEL via 'expression' attribute");
-			router.setChannelResolver(this.channelResolver);
-		}
 		if (router == null) {
 			router = this.createMethodInvokingRouter(targetObject, targetMethodName);
 			this.configureRouter(router);
@@ -103,6 +99,10 @@ public class RouterFactoryBean extends AbstractStandardMessageHandlerFactoryBean
 				return (MessageHandler) targetObject;
 			}
 		}
+		if (this.channelResolver != null){
+			logger.warn("'channel-resolver' attribute has been deprecated in favor of using SpEL via 'expression' attribute");
+			router.setChannelResolver(this.channelResolver);
+		}
 		return router;
 	}