diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/DelayHandler.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/DelayHandler.java
index e99dae31c5..2c92045210 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/DelayHandler.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/DelayHandler.java
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ import org.springframework.context.event.ContextRefreshedEvent;
 import org.springframework.expression.EvaluationContext;
 import org.springframework.expression.EvaluationException;
 import org.springframework.expression.Expression;
+import org.springframework.expression.ExpressionParser;
+import org.springframework.expression.spel.standard.SpelExpressionParser;
 import org.springframework.integration.context.IntegrationObjectSupport;
 import org.springframework.integration.expression.ExpressionUtils;
 import org.springframework.integration.store.MessageGroup;
@@ -83,6 +85,8 @@ import org.springframework.util.CollectionUtils;
 public class DelayHandler extends AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler implements DelayHandlerManagement,
 		ApplicationListener<ContextRefreshedEvent> {
 
+	private static final ExpressionParser expressionParser = new SpelExpressionParser();
+
 	private final String messageGroupId;
 
 	private volatile long defaultDelay;