diff --git a/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/config/DefaultFlowRegistry.java b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/config/DefaultFlowRegistry.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..83bc4c73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/config/DefaultFlowRegistry.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2004-2007 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.webflow.config;
+
+import org.springframework.webflow.definition.registry.FlowDefinitionRegistry;
+import org.springframework.webflow.definition.registry.FlowDefinitionRegistryImpl;
+import org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.registry.FlowModelRegistry;
+import org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.registry.FlowModelRegistryImpl;
+
+/**
+ * Flow registry implementation created by FlowRegistryFactoryBean.
+ * @author Keith Donald
+ */
+class DefaultFlowRegistry extends FlowDefinitionRegistryImpl {
+
+	private FlowModelRegistry flowModelRegistry = new FlowModelRegistryImpl();
+
+	public FlowModelRegistry getFlowModelRegistry() {
+		return flowModelRegistry;
+	}
+
+	public void setParent(FlowDefinitionRegistry parent) {
+		super.setParent(parent);
+		if (parent instanceof DefaultFlowRegistry) {
+			DefaultFlowRegistry parentFlowRegistry = (DefaultFlowRegistry) parent;
+			// link so a flow in the child registry that extends from a flow in the parent registry can find its parent
+			flowModelRegistry.setParent(parentFlowRegistry.getFlowModelRegistry());
+		}
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/config/FlowRegistryFactoryBean.java b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/config/FlowRegistryFactoryBean.java
index 3d12ddc6..78364521 100644
--- a/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/config/FlowRegistryFactoryBean.java
+++ b/spring-webflow/src/main/java/org/springframework/webflow/config/FlowRegistryFactoryBean.java
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import org.springframework.webflow.definition.FlowDefinition;
 import org.springframework.webflow.definition.registry.FlowDefinitionConstructionException;
 import org.springframework.webflow.definition.registry.FlowDefinitionHolder;
 import org.springframework.webflow.definition.registry.FlowDefinitionRegistry;
-import org.springframework.webflow.definition.registry.FlowDefinitionRegistryImpl;
 import org.springframework.webflow.engine.builder.DefaultFlowHolder;
 import org.springframework.webflow.engine.builder.FlowAssembler;
 import org.springframework.webflow.engine.builder.FlowBuilder;
@@ -44,8 +43,6 @@ import org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.builder.DefaultFlowModelHolder;
 import org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.builder.FlowModelBuilder;
 import org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.builder.xml.XmlFlowModelBuilder;
 import org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.registry.FlowModelHolder;
-import org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.registry.FlowModelRegistry;
-import org.springframework.webflow.engine.model.registry.FlowModelRegistryImpl;
 
 /**
  * A factory for a flow definition registry. Is a Spring FactoryBean, for provision by the flow definition registry bean
@@ -231,6 +228,8 @@ class FlowRegistryFactoryBean implements FactoryBean, BeanClassLoaderAware, Init
 
 	private FlowModelHolder createFlowModelHolder(FlowDefinitionResource resource) {
 		FlowModelHolder modelHolder = new DefaultFlowModelHolder(createFlowModelBuilder(resource));
+		// register the flow model holder with the backing flow model registry - this is needed to support flow model
+		// merging during the flow build process
 		flowRegistry.getFlowModelRegistry().registerFlowModel(resource.getId(), modelHolder);
 		return modelHolder;
 	}
@@ -294,20 +293,4 @@ class FlowRegistryFactoryBean implements FactoryBean, BeanClassLoaderAware, Init
 		}
 	}
 
-	public static class DefaultFlowRegistry extends FlowDefinitionRegistryImpl {
-		private FlowModelRegistry flowModelRegistry = new FlowModelRegistryImpl();
-
-		public FlowModelRegistry getFlowModelRegistry() {
-			return flowModelRegistry;
-		}
-
-		public void setParent(FlowDefinitionRegistry parent) {
-			super.setParent(parent);
-			if (parent instanceof DefaultFlowRegistry) {
-				DefaultFlowRegistry parentFlowRegistry = (DefaultFlowRegistry) parent;
-				flowModelRegistry.setParent(parentFlowRegistry.getFlowModelRegistry());
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
 }
\ No newline at end of file