diff --git a/spring-integration-adapters/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/DefaultMailHeaderGenerator.java b/spring-integration-adapters/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/DefaultMailHeaderGenerator.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0437ac5fad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-integration-adapters/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/DefaultMailHeaderGenerator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/*
+ * 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.adapter.mail;
+
+import org.springframework.integration.message.Message;
+
+/**
+ * The default implementation of {@link MailHeaderGenerator}. Configures the
+ * {@link org.springframework.mail.MailMessage} properties based on attributes
+ * provided with known attribute keys as defined in {@link MailTargetAdapter}.
+ * 
+ * @author Mark Fisher
+ */
+public class DefaultMailHeaderGenerator extends AbstractMailHeaderGenerator {
+
+	@Override
+	protected String getSubject(Message<?> message) {
+		return this.retrieveAsString(message, MailTargetAdapter.SUBJECT);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	protected String[] getTo(Message<?> message) {
+		return this.retrieveAsStringArray(message, MailTargetAdapter.TO);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	protected String[] getCc(Message<?> message) {
+		return this.retrieveAsStringArray(message, MailTargetAdapter.CC);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	protected String[] getBcc(Message<?> message) {
+		return this.retrieveAsStringArray(message, MailTargetAdapter.BCC);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	protected String getFrom(Message<?> message) {
+		return this.retrieveAsString(message, MailTargetAdapter.FROM);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	protected String getReplyTo(Message<?> message) {
+		return this.retrieveAsString(message, MailTargetAdapter.REPLY_TO);
+	}
+
+
+	private String retrieveAsString(Message<?> message, String key) {
+		Object value = message.getHeader().getAttribute(key);
+		return (value instanceof String) ? (String) value : null;
+	}
+
+	private String[] retrieveAsStringArray(Message<?> message, String key) {
+		Object value = message.getHeader().getAttribute(key);
+		if (value instanceof String[]) {
+			return (String[]) value;
+		}
+		if (value instanceof String) {
+			return new String[] { (String) value };
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-integration-adapters/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/MailTargetAdapter.java b/spring-integration-adapters/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/MailTargetAdapter.java
index 764411a282..a4902cd9b4 100644
--- a/spring-integration-adapters/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/MailTargetAdapter.java
+++ b/spring-integration-adapters/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/MailTargetAdapter.java
@@ -35,9 +35,22 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  */
 public class MailTargetAdapter implements MessageHandler, InitializingBean {
 
-	private volatile JavaMailSender mailSender;
+	public static final String SUBJECT = "_mail.SUBJECT";
 
-	private volatile MailHeaderGenerator mailHeaderGenerator;
+	public static final String TO = "_mail.TO";
+
+	public static final String CC = "_mail.CC";
+
+	public static final String BCC = "_mail.BCC";
+
+	public static final String FROM = "_mail.FROM";
+
+	public static final String REPLY_TO = "_mail.REPLY_TO";
+
+
+	private final JavaMailSender mailSender;
+
+	private volatile MailHeaderGenerator mailHeaderGenerator = new DefaultMailHeaderGenerator();
 
 	private volatile MessageMapper<String, MailMessage> textMessageMapper;
 
@@ -46,9 +59,19 @@ public class MailTargetAdapter implements MessageHandler, InitializingBean {
 	private volatile MessageMapper<Object, MailMessage> objectMessageMapper;
 
 
+	/**
+	 * Create a MailTargetAdapter.
+	 * 
+	 * @param mailSender the {@link JavaMailSender} instance to which this
+	 * adapter will delegate.
+	 */
+	public MailTargetAdapter(JavaMailSender mailSender) {
+		Assert.notNull(mailSender, "'mailSender' must not be null");
+		this.mailSender = mailSender;
+	}
+
+
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
-		Assert.notNull(this.mailSender, "'mailSender' must not be null");
-		Assert.notNull(this.mailHeaderGenerator, "'mailHeaderGenerator' must not be null");
 		this.textMessageMapper = (this.textMessageMapper != null) ?
 				this.textMessageMapper : new TextMailMessageMapper();
 		this.byteArrayMessageMapper = (byteArrayMessageMapper != null) ?
@@ -57,11 +80,6 @@ public class MailTargetAdapter implements MessageHandler, InitializingBean {
 				this.objectMessageMapper : new DefaultObjectMailMessageMapper();
 	}
 
-	public void setMailSender(JavaMailSender mailSender) {
-		Assert.notNull(mailSender, "'mailSender' must not be null");
-		this.mailSender = mailSender;
-	}
-
 	public void setHeaderGenerator(MailHeaderGenerator mailHeaderGenerator) {
 		Assert.notNull(mailHeaderGenerator, "'mailHeaderGenerator' must not be null");
 		this.mailHeaderGenerator = mailHeaderGenerator;
diff --git a/spring-integration-adapters/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/MailTargetAdapterTests.java b/spring-integration-adapters/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/MailTargetAdapterTests.java
index 1cbae13131..074b862def 100644
--- a/spring-integration-adapters/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/MailTargetAdapterTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-adapters/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/adapter/mail/MailTargetAdapterTests.java
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@ public class MailTargetAdapterTests {
 		mailHeaderGenerator.setReplyTo(MailTestsHelper.REPLY_TO);
 		mailHeaderGenerator.setSubject(MailTestsHelper.SUBJECT);
 		mailHeaderGenerator.setTo(MailTestsHelper.TO);
-		this.mailTargetAdapter = new MailTargetAdapter();
-		this.mailTargetAdapter.setMailSender(this.mailSender);
+		this.mailTargetAdapter = new MailTargetAdapter(this.mailSender);
 		this.mailTargetAdapter.setHeaderGenerator(mailHeaderGenerator);
 		this.mailTargetAdapter.afterPropertiesSet();
 	}