diff --git a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/AbstractSecurityBuilder.java b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/AbstractSecurityBuilder.java
index 1c7fcc1947..7cc666dad4 100644
--- a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/AbstractSecurityBuilder.java
+++ b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/AbstractSecurityBuilder.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractSecurityBuilder<O> implements SecurityBuilder<O> {
             object = doBuild();
             return object;
         }
-        throw new IllegalStateException("This object has already been built");
+        throw new AlreadyBuiltException("This object has already been built");
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/AlreadyBuiltException.java b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/AlreadyBuiltException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd18467527
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/AlreadyBuiltException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2013 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.security.config.annotation;
+
+/**
+ * Thrown when {@link AbstractSecurityBuilder#build()} is two or more times.
+ *
+ * @author Rob Winch
+ * @since 3.2
+ */
+public class AlreadyBuiltException extends IllegalStateException {
+
+    public AlreadyBuiltException(String message) {
+        super(message);
+    }
+
+    private static final long serialVersionUID = -5891004752785553015L;
+}
diff --git a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/SecurityBuilder.java b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/SecurityBuilder.java
index 36e103fa7c..277ef29e49 100644
--- a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/SecurityBuilder.java
+++ b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/SecurityBuilder.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public interface SecurityBuilder<O> {
      * Builds the object and returns it or null.
      *
      * @return the Object to be built or null if the implementation allows it.
-     * @throws Exception if an error occured when building the Object
+     * @throws Exception if an error occurred when building the Object
      */
     O build() throws Exception;
 }
diff --git a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/configuration/WebSecurityConfiguration.java b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/configuration/WebSecurityConfiguration.java
index ae715f28c9..c872eca045 100644
--- a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/configuration/WebSecurityConfiguration.java
+++ b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/configuration/WebSecurityConfiguration.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.annotation.AnnotationUtils;
 import org.springframework.core.annotation.Order;
 import org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationMetadata;
 import org.springframework.security.access.expression.SecurityExpressionHandler;
+import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.AlreadyBuiltException;
 import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.ObjectPostProcessor;
 import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.SecurityConfigurer;
 import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.WebSecurityConfigurer;
@@ -87,7 +88,11 @@ public class WebSecurityConfiguration implements ImportAware, BeanClassLoaderAwa
         if(!hasConfigurers) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("At least one non-null instance of "+ WebSecurityConfigurer.class.getSimpleName()+" must be exposed as a @Bean when using @EnableWebSecurity. Hint try extending "+ WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter.class.getSimpleName());
         }
-        return webSecurity.getOrBuild();
+        try {
+            return webSecurity.build();
+        } catch (AlreadyBuiltException e) {
+            return webSecurity.getObject();
+        }
     }
 
     /**