diff --git a/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Objects/Factory/Support/AbstractAutowireCapableObjectFactory.cs b/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Objects/Factory/Support/AbstractAutowireCapableObjectFactory.cs
index f4dfda8f..ec7c1e9c 100644
--- a/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Objects/Factory/Support/AbstractAutowireCapableObjectFactory.cs
+++ b/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Objects/Factory/Support/AbstractAutowireCapableObjectFactory.cs
@@ -2104,7 +2104,7 @@ namespace Spring.Objects.Factory.Support
                 return ConfigureObject(name, definition, new ObjectWrapper(target));
             }
 
-            return null;
+            return target;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Objects/Factory/DefaultListableObjectFactoryTests.cs b/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Objects/Factory/DefaultListableObjectFactoryTests.cs
index 7e4791d4..7b3c9bab 100644
--- a/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Objects/Factory/DefaultListableObjectFactoryTests.cs
+++ b/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Objects/Factory/DefaultListableObjectFactoryTests.cs
@@ -1337,6 +1337,15 @@ namespace Spring.Objects.Factory
 			Assert.AreEqual(1, lof.ObjectPostProcessorCount, errMsg);
 		}
 
+        [Test]
+        public void ConfigureObjectReturnsOriginalInstanceIfNoDefinitionFound()
+        {
+            IConfigurableObjectFactory of = new DefaultListableObjectFactory();
+            object testObject = new object();
+            object resultObject = of.ConfigureObject(testObject, "non-existing object definition name");
+            Assert.AreSame(testObject, resultObject);
+        }
+
 		#region Helper Classes
 
 		public class GoodDisposable : IDisposable