diff --git a/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/method/MethodInvocationException.java b/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/method/MethodInvocationException.java
index 6e9f5ac6..88ac9bc5 100644
--- a/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/method/MethodInvocationException.java
+++ b/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/method/MethodInvocationException.java
@@ -69,11 +69,10 @@ public class MethodInvocationException extends NestedRuntimeException {
 	 * @return the target throwable
 	 */
 	public Throwable getTargetException() {
-		if (getCause() instanceof InvocationTargetException) {
-			return ((InvocationTargetException)getCause()).getTargetException();
-		}
-		else {
-			return getCause();
+		Throwable targetException = getCause();
+		while (targetException instanceof InvocationTargetException) {
+			targetException = ((InvocationTargetException)targetException).getTargetException();
 		}
+		return targetException;
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/method/MethodInvocationExceptionTests.java b/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/method/MethodInvocationExceptionTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..87d9c7ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/method/MethodInvocationExceptionTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/*
+ * 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.binding.method;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
+
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+/**
+ * Test case for {@link MethodInvocationException}.
+ * 
+ * @author Erwin Vervaet
+ */
+public class MethodInvocationExceptionTests extends TestCase {
+
+	public void testGetTargetException() {
+		// runtime exception
+		IllegalArgumentException iae = new IllegalArgumentException("test");
+		MethodInvocationException ex = testException(iae);
+		assertSame(iae, ex.getTargetException());
+		
+		// exception
+		IOException ioe = new IOException("test");
+		ex = testException(ioe);
+		assertSame(ioe, ex.getTargetException());
+
+		// nested
+		InvocationTargetException ite = new InvocationTargetException(ioe);
+		ex = testException(ite);
+		assertSame(ioe, ex.getTargetException());
+		
+		// deep nesting
+		ite = new InvocationTargetException(new InvocationTargetException(ioe));
+		ex = testException(ite);
+		assertSame(ioe, ex.getTargetException());
+	}
+	
+	// internal helpers
+	
+	private MethodInvocationException testException(Throwable cause) {
+		return new MethodInvocationException(new MethodSignature("test"), null, cause);
+	}
+}