diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java
index 53519dbcd4..325c1507c0 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/endpoint/DefaultMessageEndpoint.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2007 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2008 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.
@@ -185,6 +185,12 @@ public class DefaultMessageEndpoint implements MessageEndpoint, ChannelRegistryA
 	}
 
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() {
+		if (this.handler == null) {
+			return;
+		}
+		if (this.handler instanceof ChannelRegistryAware) {
+			((ChannelRegistryAware) this.handler).setChannelRegistry(this.channelRegistry);
+		}
 		if (this.concurrencyPolicy != null || this.handler instanceof ConcurrentHandler) {
 			if (!(this.handler instanceof ConcurrentHandler)) {
 				int capacity = concurrencyPolicy.getQueueCapacity();
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageHandlerAdapter.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageHandlerAdapter.java
index 55693b2292..16d770fffe 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageHandlerAdapter.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageHandlerAdapter.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2007 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2008 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.
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageHandlerAdapter<T> implements MessageHandler
 		this.object = object;
 	}
 
+	protected Object getObject() {
+		return this.object;
+	}
+
 	public void setMethodName(String methodName) {
 		Assert.notNull(methodName, "'methodName' must not be null");
 		this.methodName = methodName;
@@ -82,6 +86,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageHandlerAdapter<T> implements MessageHandler
 			this.invoker = new SimpleMethodInvoker<T>(this.object, this.methodName);
 			this.initialized = true;
 		}
+		this.initialize();
 	}
 
 	public final Message<?> handle(Message<?> message) {
@@ -109,6 +114,12 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageHandlerAdapter<T> implements MessageHandler
 	protected void validate() {
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Subclasses may override this method to provide additional initialization.
+	 */
+	protected void initialize() {
+	}
+
 	protected Message<?> createReplyMessage(Object payload, MessageHeader originalMessageHeader) {
 		return new GenericMessage(payload, originalMessageHeader);
 	}
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/RouterMessageHandlerAdapter.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/RouterMessageHandlerAdapter.java
index 49accd0325..d86e43ab75 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/RouterMessageHandlerAdapter.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/router/RouterMessageHandlerAdapter.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2007 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2008 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.
@@ -65,6 +65,14 @@ public class RouterMessageHandlerAdapter extends AbstractMessageHandlerAdapter i
 		this.channelRegistry = channelRegistry;
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	protected void initialize() {
+		Object target = this.getObject();
+		if (target != null && this.channelRegistry != null && (target instanceof ChannelRegistryAware)) {
+			((ChannelRegistryAware) target).setChannelRegistry(this.channelRegistry);
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	protected Object doHandle(Message message, SimpleMethodInvoker invoker) {
 		if (method.getParameterTypes().length != 1) {
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/RouterMessageHandlerAdapterTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/RouterMessageHandlerAdapterTests.java
index 395c88ff10..65158f2c62 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/RouterMessageHandlerAdapterTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/router/RouterMessageHandlerAdapterTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2007 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2008 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.
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.integration.MessagingConfigurationException;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.ChannelRegistry;
+import org.springframework.integration.channel.ChannelRegistryAware;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.DefaultChannelRegistry;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.MessageChannel;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.SimpleChannel;
@@ -440,6 +441,26 @@ public class RouterMessageHandlerAdapterTests {
 		assertNull(result6);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testChannelRegistryAwareTarget() throws Exception {
+		SimpleChannel fooChannel = new SimpleChannel();
+		ChannelRegistry channelRegistry = new DefaultChannelRegistry();
+		channelRegistry.registerChannel("foo-channel", fooChannel);
+		ChannelRegistryAwareTestBean testBean = new ChannelRegistryAwareTestBean();
+		Method routingMethod = testBean.getClass().getMethod("route", String.class);
+		Map<String, Object> attribs = new ConcurrentHashMap<String, Object>();
+		RouterMessageHandlerAdapter adapter = new RouterMessageHandlerAdapter(testBean, routingMethod, attribs);
+		adapter.setChannelRegistry(channelRegistry);
+		assertNull(testBean.getChannelRegistry());
+		adapter.afterPropertiesSet();
+		assertNotNull(testBean.getChannelRegistry());
+		Message<String> message = new StringMessage("foo-channel");
+		adapter.handle(message);
+		Message<?> result = fooChannel.receive(0);
+		assertNotNull(result);
+		assertEquals("foo-channel", result.getPayload());
+	}
+
 
 	public static class SingleChannelNameRoutingTestBean {
 
@@ -552,4 +573,22 @@ public class RouterMessageHandlerAdapterTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+
+	public static class ChannelRegistryAwareTestBean implements ChannelRegistryAware {
+
+		private ChannelRegistry channelRegistry;
+
+		public void setChannelRegistry(ChannelRegistry channelRegistry) {
+			this.channelRegistry = channelRegistry;
+		}
+
+		public ChannelRegistry getChannelRegistry() {
+			return this.channelRegistry;
+		}
+
+		public MessageChannel route(String channelName) {
+			return this.channelRegistry.lookupChannel(channelName);
+		}
+	}
+
 }