diff --git a/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/DefaultELResolver.java b/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/DefaultELResolver.java
index b30945ec..9a45eb17 100644
--- a/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/DefaultELResolver.java
+++ b/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/DefaultELResolver.java
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ import javax.el.CompositeELResolver;
 import javax.el.ELContext;
 import javax.el.ListELResolver;
 import javax.el.MapELResolver;
+import javax.el.PropertyNotFoundException;
+import javax.el.PropertyNotWritableException;
 import javax.el.ResourceBundleELResolver;
 
 import org.springframework.binding.collection.MapAdaptable;
-import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
 /**
  * A generic ELResolver to be used as a default when no other ELResolvers have been configured by the client
@@ -35,21 +36,27 @@ public class DefaultELResolver extends CompositeELResolver {
 	}
 
 	public Object getValue(ELContext context, Object base, Object property) {
-		Assert.notNull(target, "The DefaultELResolver must have a target base property set.");
 		if (base == null) {
-			return super.getValue(context, target, property);
-		} else {
-			return super.getValue(context, adaptIfNecessary(base), property);
+			try {
+				return super.getValue(context, target, property);
+			} catch (PropertyNotFoundException ex) {
+				context.setPropertyResolved(false);
+			}
 		}
+		return super.getValue(context, adaptIfNecessary(base), property);
 	}
 
 	public void setValue(ELContext context, Object base, Object property, Object val) {
-		Assert.notNull(target, "The DefaultELResolver must have a target base property set.");
 		if (base == null) {
-			super.setValue(context, target, property, val);
-		} else {
-			super.setValue(context, adaptIfNecessary(base), property, val);
+			try {
+				super.setValue(context, target, property, val);
+				if (context.isPropertyResolved())
+					return;
+			} catch (PropertyNotWritableException ex) {
+				context.setPropertyResolved(false);
+			}
 		}
+		super.setValue(context, adaptIfNecessary(base), property, val);
 	}
 
 	public Object getTarget() {
diff --git a/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/ELExpressionParser.java b/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/ELExpressionParser.java
index 2cc12f88..3f383446 100644
--- a/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/ELExpressionParser.java
+++ b/spring-binding/src/main/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/ELExpressionParser.java
@@ -84,35 +84,16 @@ public class ELExpressionParser implements ExpressionParser {
 	}
 
 	public final Expression parseExpression(String expressionString) throws ParserException {
-		if (!isDelimitedExpression(expressionString)) {
-			expressionString = expressionPrefix + expressionString + expressionSuffix;
-		}
-		return doParseExpression(expressionString);
+		return parseSettableExpression(expressionString);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Parses the expression string into an EL value expression.
+	 * @param expressionString
+	 * @throws ParserException
+	 */
 	public final SettableExpression parseSettableExpression(String expressionString) throws ParserException,
 			UnsupportedOperationException {
-		if (!isDelimitedExpression(expressionString)) {
-			expressionString = expressionPrefix + expressionString + expressionSuffix;
-		}
-		return doParseSettableExpression(expressionString);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Parses the expression string into an EL value expression.
-	 * @param expressionString
-	 * @throws ParserException
-	 */
-	protected Expression doParseExpression(String expressionString) throws ParserException {
-		return doParseSettableExpression(expressionString);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Parses the expression string into an EL value expression.
-	 * @param expressionString
-	 * @throws ParserException
-	 */
-	protected SettableExpression doParseSettableExpression(String expressionString) throws ParserException {
 		ELContext ctx = contextFactory.getParseContext();
 		try {
 			return new ELExpression(contextFactory, expressionFactory.createValueExpression(ctx, expressionString,
diff --git a/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/ELExpressionParserTests.java b/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/ELExpressionParserTests.java
index 05aa44be..236d9553 100644
--- a/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/ELExpressionParserTests.java
+++ b/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/el/ELExpressionParserTests.java
@@ -79,11 +79,6 @@ public class ELExpressionParserTests extends TestCase {
 		Expression result1 = parser.parseExpression(expStr1);
 		assertNotNull(result1);
 		assertEquals(expStr1, result1.toString());
-
-		String expStr2 = "foo.bar()";
-		Expression result2 = parser.parseExpression(expStr2);
-		assertNotNull(result2);
-		assertEquals(expStr1, result2.toString());
 	}
 
 	public void testMethodWithParams() {
@@ -92,11 +87,6 @@ public class ELExpressionParserTests extends TestCase {
 		Expression result1 = parser.parseExpression(expStr1);
 		assertNotNull(result1);
 		assertEquals(expStr1, result1.toString());
-
-		String expStr2 = "foo.bar(moe.curly, groucho.harpo)";
-		Expression result2 = parser.parseExpression(expStr2);
-		assertNotNull(result2);
-		assertEquals(expStr1, result2.toString());
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/support/SimpleExpressionTests.java b/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/support/SimpleExpressionTests.java
index e664678b..18576100 100644
--- a/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/support/SimpleExpressionTests.java
+++ b/spring-binding/src/test/java/org/springframework/binding/expression/support/SimpleExpressionTests.java
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ public class SimpleExpressionTests extends TestCase {
 
 	public void testGetValue() {
 		assertEquals(Boolean.TRUE, expressionParser.parseExpression(expressionPrefix + "{flag}").evaluate(bean, null));
-		assertEquals(Boolean.TRUE, expressionParser.parseExpression("flag").evaluate(bean, null));
 		assertSame(bean.getList(), expressionParser.parseExpression(expressionPrefix + "{list}").evaluate(bean, null));
 		assertEquals("foo", expressionParser.parseExpression(expressionPrefix + "{list[0]}").evaluate(bean, null));
 	}
@@ -83,8 +82,6 @@ public class SimpleExpressionTests extends TestCase {
 	public void testSetValue() {
 		expressionParser.parseSettableExpression(expressionPrefix + "{flag}").evaluateToSet(bean, Boolean.FALSE, null);
 		assertFalse(bean.isFlag());
-		expressionParser.parseSettableExpression("flag").evaluateToSet(bean, Boolean.TRUE, null);
-		assertTrue(bean.isFlag());
 		List newList = new ArrayList();
 		newList.add("boo");
 		expressionParser.parseSettableExpression(expressionPrefix + "{list}").evaluateToSet(bean, newList, null);
@@ -95,7 +92,7 @@ public class SimpleExpressionTests extends TestCase {
 
 	public void testSyntaxError() {
 		try {
-			expressionParser.parseExpression("foo(").evaluate(bean, null);
+			expressionParser.parseExpression(expressionPrefix + "{foo(}").evaluate(bean, null);
 			fail("should have failed");
 		} catch (ParserException e) {
 		} catch (EvaluationException e) {