diff --git a/xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/xml/transform/TransformerHelper.java b/xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/xml/transform/TransformerHelper.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7fe8bf1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/xml/transform/TransformerHelper.java
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2005-2010 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.xml.transform;
+
+import javax.xml.transform.Result;
+import javax.xml.transform.Source;
+import javax.xml.transform.Transformer;
+import javax.xml.transform.TransformerConfigurationException;
+import javax.xml.transform.TransformerException;
+import javax.xml.transform.TransformerFactory;
+import javax.xml.transform.TransformerFactoryConfigurationError;
+
+import org.springframework.util.Assert;
+
+/**
+ * Helper class for {@link Transformer} usage. Provides {@link #createTransformer()} and {@link #transform(Source,
+ * Result)}.
+ *
+ * @author Arjen Poutsma
+ * @since 3.0
+ */
+public class TransformerHelper {
+
+    private volatile TransformerFactory transformerFactory;
+
+    private Class<? extends TransformerFactory> transformerFactoryClass;
+
+    /**
+     * Initializes a new instance of the {@code TransformerHelper}.
+     */
+    public TransformerHelper() {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Initializes a new instance of the {@code TransformerHelper} with the specified {@link TransformerFactory}.
+     */
+    public TransformerHelper(TransformerFactory transformerFactory) {
+        this.transformerFactory = transformerFactory;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Initializes a new instance of the {@code TransformerHelper} with the specified {@link TransformerFactory} class.
+     */
+    public TransformerHelper(Class<? extends TransformerFactory> transformerFactoryClass) {
+        setTransformerFactoryClass(transformerFactoryClass);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Specify the {@code TransformerFactory} class to use.
+     */
+    public void setTransformerFactoryClass(Class<? extends TransformerFactory> transformerFactoryClass) {
+        Assert.isAssignable(TransformerFactory.class, transformerFactoryClass);
+        this.transformerFactoryClass = transformerFactoryClass;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Instantiate a new TransformerFactory.
+     * <p/>
+     * The default implementation simply calls {@link TransformerFactory#newInstance()}. If a {@link
+     * #setTransformerFactoryClass transformerFactoryClass} has been specified explicitly, the default constructor of
+     * the specified class will be called instead.
+     * <p/>
+     * Can be overridden in subclasses.
+     *
+     * @param transformerFactoryClass the specified factory class (if any)
+     * @return the new TransactionFactory instance
+     * @see #setTransformerFactoryClass
+     * @see #getTransformerFactory()
+     */
+    protected TransformerFactory newTransformerFactory(Class<? extends TransformerFactory> transformerFactoryClass) {
+        if (transformerFactoryClass != null) {
+            try {
+                return transformerFactoryClass.newInstance();
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex) {
+                throw new TransformerFactoryConfigurationError(ex,
+                        "Could not instantiate TransformerFactory [" + transformerFactoryClass + "]");
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            return TransformerFactory.newInstance();
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the {@code TransformerFactory}.
+     *
+     * @return the transformer factory
+     */
+    public TransformerFactory getTransformerFactory() {
+        TransformerFactory result = transformerFactory;
+        if (result == null) {
+            synchronized (this) {
+                result = transformerFactory;
+                if (result == null) {
+                    transformerFactory = result = newTransformerFactory(transformerFactoryClass);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a new {@code Transformer}. Must be called per thread, as transformers are not thread-safe.
+     *
+     * @return the created transformer
+     * @throws TransformerConfigurationException
+     *          if thrown by JAXP methods
+     */
+    public Transformer createTransformer() throws TransformerConfigurationException {
+        return getTransformerFactory().newTransformer();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Transforms the given {@link Source} to the given {@link Result}. Creates a new {@link Transformer} for every
+     * call, as transformers are not thread-safe.
+     *
+     * @param source the source to transform from
+     * @param result the result to transform to
+     * @throws TransformerException if thrown by JAXP methods
+     */
+    public void transform(Source source, Result result) throws TransformerException {
+        Transformer transformer = createTransformer();
+        transformer.transform(source, result);
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/xml/transform/TransformerObjectSupport.java b/xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/xml/transform/TransformerObjectSupport.java
index e2b2e9db..3f827430 100644
--- a/xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/xml/transform/TransformerObjectSupport.java
+++ b/xml/src/main/java/org/springframework/xml/transform/TransformerObjectSupport.java
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@ import javax.xml.transform.Transformer;
 import javax.xml.transform.TransformerConfigurationException;
 import javax.xml.transform.TransformerException;
 import javax.xml.transform.TransformerFactory;
-import javax.xml.transform.TransformerFactoryConfigurationError;
-
-import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
@@ -40,52 +37,40 @@ import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
  */
 public abstract class TransformerObjectSupport {
 
-    /** Logger available to subclasses. */
+    /**
+     * Logger available to subclasses.
+     */
     protected final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(getClass());
 
-    private TransformerFactory transformerFactory;
-
-    private Class<? extends TransformerFactory> transformerFactoryClass;
+    private TransformerHelper transformerHelper = new TransformerHelper();
 
     /**
      * Specify the {@code TransformerFactory} class to use.
      */
     public void setTransformerFactoryClass(Class<? extends TransformerFactory> transformerFactoryClass) {
-        Assert.isAssignable(TransformerFactory.class, transformerFactoryClass);
-        this.transformerFactoryClass = transformerFactoryClass;
+        transformerHelper.setTransformerFactoryClass(transformerFactoryClass);
     }
 
     /**
-     * Instantiate a new TransformerFactory.
-     * <p>The default implementation simply calls {@link TransformerFactory#newInstance()}.
-     * If a {@link #setTransformerFactoryClass "transformerFactoryClass"} has been specified explicitly,
-     * the default constructor of the specified class will be called instead.
-     * <p>Can be overridden in subclasses.
+     * Instantiate a new TransformerFactory. <p>The default implementation simply calls {@link
+     * TransformerFactory#newInstance()}. If a {@link #setTransformerFactoryClass "transformerFactoryClass"} has been
+     * specified explicitly, the default constructor of the specified class will be called instead. <p>Can be overridden
+     * in subclasses.
+     *
      * @param transformerFactoryClass the specified factory class (if any)
      * @return the new TransactionFactory instance
      * @see #setTransformerFactoryClass
      * @see #getTransformerFactory()
      */
     protected TransformerFactory newTransformerFactory(Class<? extends TransformerFactory> transformerFactoryClass) {
-        if (transformerFactoryClass != null) {
-            try {
-                return transformerFactoryClass.newInstance();
-            }
-            catch (Exception ex) {
-                throw new TransformerFactoryConfigurationError(ex, "Could not instantiate TransformerFactory");
-            }
-        }
-        else {
-            return TransformerFactory.newInstance();
-        }
+        return transformerHelper.newTransformerFactory(transformerFactoryClass);
     }
 
-    /** Returns the <code>TransformerFactory</code>. */
+    /**
+     * Returns the <code>TransformerFactory</code>.
+     */
     protected TransformerFactory getTransformerFactory() {
-        if (transformerFactory == null) {
-            transformerFactory = newTransformerFactory(transformerFactoryClass);
-        }
-        return transformerFactory;
+        return transformerHelper.getTransformerFactory();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -96,7 +81,7 @@ public abstract class TransformerObjectSupport {
      *          if thrown by JAXP methods
      */
     protected final Transformer createTransformer() throws TransformerConfigurationException {
-        return getTransformerFactory().newTransformer();
+        return transformerHelper.createTransformer();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -108,8 +93,7 @@ public abstract class TransformerObjectSupport {
      * @throws TransformerException if thrown by JAXP methods
      */
     protected final void transform(Source source, Result result) throws TransformerException {
-        Transformer transformer = createTransformer();
-        transformer.transform(source, result);
+        transformerHelper.transform(source, result);
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/xml/transform/TransformerHelperTest.java b/xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/xml/transform/TransformerHelperTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..273622cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xml/src/test/java/org/springframework/xml/transform/TransformerHelperTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2005-2010 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.xml.transform;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import javax.xml.transform.Result;
+import javax.xml.transform.Source;
+import javax.xml.transform.TransformerException;
+
+import com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerFactoryImpl;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
+
+import static org.custommonkey.xmlunit.XMLAssert.assertXMLEqual;
+
+public class TransformerHelperTest {
+
+    private TransformerHelper helper;
+
+    @Before
+    public void setUp() throws Exception {
+        helper = new TransformerHelper();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void defaultTransformerFactory() throws TransformerException, IOException, SAXException {
+        doTest();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void customTransformerFactory() throws TransformerException, IOException, SAXException {
+        helper.setTransformerFactoryClass(TransformerFactoryImpl.class);
+        doTest();
+    }
+
+    private void doTest() throws TransformerException, SAXException, IOException {
+        String xml = "<root xmlns='http://springframework.org/spring-ws'><child>text</child></root>";
+        Source source = new StringSource(xml);
+        Result result = new StringResult();
+
+        helper.transform(source, result);
+
+        assertXMLEqual(xml, result.toString());
+    }
+}