diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/soap/server/endpoint/AbstractSoapFaultDefinitionExceptionResolver.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/soap/server/endpoint/AbstractSoapFaultDefinitionExceptionResolver.java
index 7c2705c7..4bedc201 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/soap/server/endpoint/AbstractSoapFaultDefinitionExceptionResolver.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/soap/server/endpoint/AbstractSoapFaultDefinitionExceptionResolver.java
@@ -65,27 +65,27 @@ public abstract class AbstractSoapFaultDefinitionExceptionResolver extends Abstr
         if (definition == null) {
             return false;
         }
-        if (!StringUtils.hasLength(definition.getFaultStringOrReason())) {
-            String faultString = StringUtils.hasLength(ex.getMessage()) ? ex.getMessage() : ex.toString();
-            definition.setFaultStringOrReason(faultString);
+
+        String faultStringOrReason = definition.getFaultStringOrReason();
+        if (!StringUtils.hasLength(faultStringOrReason)) {
+            faultStringOrReason = StringUtils.hasLength(ex.getMessage()) ? ex.getMessage() : ex.toString();
         }
         SoapBody soapBody = ((SoapMessage) messageContext.getResponse()).getSoapBody();
         SoapFault fault = null;
 
         if (SoapFaultDefinition.SERVER.equals(definition.getFaultCode()) ||
                 SoapFaultDefinition.RECEIVER.equals(definition.getFaultCode())) {
-            fault = soapBody.addServerOrReceiverFault(definition.getFaultStringOrReason(), definition.getLocale());
+            fault = soapBody.addServerOrReceiverFault(faultStringOrReason, definition.getLocale());
         }
         else if (SoapFaultDefinition.CLIENT.equals(definition.getFaultCode()) ||
                 SoapFaultDefinition.SENDER.equals(definition.getFaultCode())) {
-            fault = soapBody.addClientOrSenderFault(definition.getFaultStringOrReason(), definition.getLocale());
+            fault = soapBody.addClientOrSenderFault(faultStringOrReason, definition.getLocale());
         }
         else {
             // custom code, only supported for SOAP 1.1
             if (soapBody instanceof Soap11Body) {
                 Soap11Body soap11Body = (Soap11Body) soapBody;
-                fault = soap11Body.addFault(definition.getFaultCode(), definition.getFaultStringOrReason(),
-                        definition.getLocale());
+                fault = soap11Body.addFault(definition.getFaultCode(), faultStringOrReason, definition.getLocale());
             }
             else {
                 logger.warn("SOAP 1.2 does not allow custom FaultCodes, only SENDER or RECEIVER.");
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/soap/server/endpoint/SoapFaultMappingExceptionResolverTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/soap/server/endpoint/SoapFaultMappingExceptionResolverTest.java
index 92ab39b1..68f63c9d 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/soap/server/endpoint/SoapFaultMappingExceptionResolverTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/soap/server/endpoint/SoapFaultMappingExceptionResolverTest.java
@@ -149,7 +149,6 @@ public class SoapFaultMappingExceptionResolverTest extends XMLTestCase {
         resolver.setExceptionMappings(mappings);
         SoapFaultDefinition defaultFault = new SoapFaultDefinition();
         defaultFault.setFaultCode(SoapFaultDefinition.CLIENT);
-        defaultFault.setFaultStringOrReason("faultstring");
         resolver.setDefaultFault(defaultFault);
         MessageFactory messageFactory = MessageFactory.newInstance(SOAPConstants.SOAP_1_1_PROTOCOL);
         SOAPMessage message = messageFactory.createMessage();
@@ -164,7 +163,20 @@ public class SoapFaultMappingExceptionResolverTest extends XMLTestCase {
         Soap11Fault fault = (Soap11Fault) response.getSoapBody().getFault();
         assertEquals("Invalid fault code on fault", SoapVersion.SOAP_11.getClientOrSenderFaultName(),
                 fault.getFaultCode());
-        assertEquals("Invalid fault string on fault", "faultstring", fault.getFaultStringOrReason());
+        assertEquals("Invalid fault string on fault", "bla", fault.getFaultStringOrReason());
+        assertNull("Detail on fault", fault.getFaultDetail());
+
+        // SWS-226
+        result = resolver.resolveException(context, null, new IllegalArgumentException());
+        assertTrue("resolveException returns false", result);
+        assertTrue("Context has no response", context.hasResponse());
+        response = (SoapMessage) context.getResponse();
+        assertTrue("Response has no fault", response.getSoapBody().hasFault());
+        fault = (Soap11Fault) response.getSoapBody().getFault();
+        assertEquals("Invalid fault code on fault", SoapVersion.SOAP_11.getClientOrSenderFaultName(),
+                fault.getFaultCode());
+        assertEquals("Invalid fault string on fault", "java.lang.IllegalArgumentException",
+                fault.getFaultStringOrReason());
         assertNull("Detail on fault", fault.getFaultDetail());
     }