diff --git a/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/dsl/FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec.java b/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/dsl/FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec.java
index 786c8a2e2d..a47e9e504e 100644
--- a/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/dsl/FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec.java
+++ b/spring-integration-file/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/file/dsl/FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec.java
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec
 
 	private ExpressionFileListFilter<File> expressionFileListFilter;
 
+	private DirectoryScanner scanner;
+
+	private boolean filtersSet;
+
 	FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec() {
 		this.target = new FileReadingMessageSource();
 	}
@@ -66,11 +70,14 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec
 
 			@Override
 			protected void onInit() {
-				try {
-					setFilter(FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec.this.fileListFilterFactoryBean.getObject());
-				}
-				catch (Exception e) {
-					throw new BeanCreationException("The bean for the [" + this + "] can not be instantiated.", e);
+				if (FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec.this.scanner == null ||
+						FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec.this.filtersSet) {
+					try {
+						setFilter(FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec.this.fileListFilterFactoryBean.getObject());
+					}
+					catch (Exception e) {
+						throw new BeanCreationException("The bean for the [" + this + "] can not be instantiated.", e);
+					}
 				}
 				super.onInit();
 			}
@@ -96,6 +103,7 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec
 	 * @see FileReadingMessageSource#setScanner(DirectoryScanner)
 	 */
 	public FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec scanner(DirectoryScanner scanner) {
+		this.scanner = scanner;
 		this.target.setScanner(scanner);
 		return _this();
 	}
@@ -123,6 +131,7 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec
 	 */
 	public FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec filter(FileListFilter<File> filter) {
 		this.fileListFilterFactoryBean.setFilter(filter);
+		this.filtersSet = true;
 		return _this();
 	}
 
@@ -158,6 +167,7 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec
 	 */
 	public FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec preventDuplicates(boolean preventDuplicates) {
 		this.fileListFilterFactoryBean.setPreventDuplicates(preventDuplicates);
+		this.filtersSet = true;
 		return _this();
 	}
 
@@ -169,6 +179,7 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec
 	 */
 	public FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec ignoreHidden(boolean ignoreHidden) {
 		this.fileListFilterFactoryBean.setIgnoreHidden(ignoreHidden);
+		this.filtersSet = true;
 		return _this();
 	}
 
@@ -181,6 +192,7 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec
 	 */
 	public FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec patternFilter(String pattern) {
 		this.fileListFilterFactoryBean.setFilenamePattern(pattern);
+		this.filtersSet = true;
 		return _this();
 	}
 
@@ -193,6 +205,7 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec
 	 */
 	public FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec regexFilter(String regex) {
 		this.fileListFilterFactoryBean.setFilenameRegex(regex);
+		this.filtersSet = true;
 		return _this();
 	}
 
@@ -208,6 +221,7 @@ public class FileInboundChannelAdapterSpec
 				"The 'locker' (" + this.locker + ") is already configured for the FileReadingMessageSource");
 		this.locker = locker;
 		this.target.setLocker(locker);
+		this.filtersSet = true;
 		return _this();
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/dsl/FileTests.java b/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/dsl/FileTests.java
index 56972e32ee..b9a254f93d 100644
--- a/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/dsl/FileTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-file/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/file/dsl/FileTests.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.springframework.aop.TargetSource;
 import org.springframework.aop.framework.Advised;
 import org.springframework.beans.DirectFieldAccessor;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.ListableBeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Qualifier;
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ import org.springframework.integration.dsl.Pollers;
 import org.springframework.integration.dsl.StandardIntegrationFlow;
 import org.springframework.integration.dsl.channel.MessageChannels;
 import org.springframework.integration.expression.FunctionExpression;
+import org.springframework.integration.file.DefaultDirectoryScanner;
 import org.springframework.integration.file.DefaultFileNameGenerator;
 import org.springframework.integration.file.FileHeaders;
 import org.springframework.integration.file.FileReadingMessageSource;
@@ -403,13 +405,16 @@ public class FileTests {
 
 
 		@Bean
-		public IntegrationFlow fileSplitterFlow() {
+		public IntegrationFlow fileSplitterFlow(BeanFactory beanFactory) {
+			ExpressionFileListFilter<File> fileExpressionFileListFilter =
+					new ExpressionFileListFilter<>(new FunctionExpression<File>(f -> "foo.tmp".equals(f.getName())));
+			fileExpressionFileListFilter.setBeanFactory(beanFactory);
+
 			return IntegrationFlows
 					.from(Files.inboundAdapter(tmpDir.getRoot())
 									.filter(new ChainFileListFilter<File>()
 											.addFilter(new AcceptOnceFileListFilter<>())
-											.addFilter(new ExpressionFileListFilter<>(
-													new FunctionExpression<File>(f -> "foo.tmp".equals(f.getName()))))),
+											.addFilter(fileExpressionFileListFilter)),
 							e -> e.poller(p -> p.fixedDelay(100)))
 					.split(Files.splitter()
 									.markers()
@@ -440,7 +445,8 @@ public class FileTests {
 		void pollDirectories(File... directories) {
 			for (File directory : directories) {
 				StandardIntegrationFlow integrationFlow = IntegrationFlows
-						.from(Files.inboundAdapter(directory),
+						.from(Files.inboundAdapter(directory)
+										.scanner(new DefaultDirectoryScanner()),
 								e -> e.poller(p -> p.fixedDelay(1000))
 										.id(directory.getName() + ".adapter"))
 						.transform(Files.toStringTransformer(),