diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry.java b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry.java
index 3cc761417..5cee940aa 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry.java
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ public class BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry
 
 	@SuppressWarnings({ "rawtypes", "unchecked" })
 	@Override
+	//TODO do we really need to do that given we no longer do the same for other gunctions?
 	public void afterSingletonsInstantiated() {
 		Map<String, FunctionRegistration> beansOfType = this.applicationContext
 				.getBeansOfType(FunctionRegistration.class);
@@ -190,7 +191,9 @@ public class BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry
 		else {
 			if (StringUtils.isEmpty(definition)) {
 				String[] functionNames = this.applicationContext.getBeanNamesForType(Function.class);
-				Assert.notEmpty(functionNames, "Can't find any functions in BeanFactory");
+				if (ObjectUtils.isEmpty(functionNames)) {
+					return null;
+				}
 				Assert.isTrue(functionNames.length == 1, "Found more then one function in BeanFactory");
 				definition = functionNames[0];
 			}
@@ -349,12 +352,6 @@ public class BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry
 			return target;
 		}
 
-//		public boolean isMultipleOutput() {
-//
-//			Type type = FunctionTypeUtils.getInputType(functionType, 0);
-//			return FunctionTypeUtils.isFlux(type);
-//		}
-
 		@SuppressWarnings({ "rawtypes", "unchecked" })
 		private Object invokeFunction(Object input) {
 			if (target instanceof FunctionInvocationWrapper || target instanceof Function) {
@@ -482,7 +479,7 @@ public class BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry
 		}
 
 		private Publisher<?> convertOutputPublisherIfNecessary(Publisher<?> publisher, String... acceptedOutputMimeTypes) {
-			System.out.println("Converting output publisher");
+			logger.info("Applying type conversion on output Publisher");
 			Publisher<?> result = publisher instanceof Mono
 					? Mono.from(publisher).map(value -> this.convertOutputValueIfNecessary(value, acceptedOutputMimeTypes))
 							: Flux.from(publisher).map(value -> this.convertOutputValueIfNecessary(value, acceptedOutputMimeTypes));
@@ -490,7 +487,7 @@ public class BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry
 		}
 
 		private Publisher<?> convertInputPublisherIfNecessary(Publisher<?> publisher, Type type) {
-			System.out.println("Converting publisher");
+			logger.info("Applying type conversion on input Publisher");
 			Publisher<?> result = publisher instanceof Mono
 					? Mono.from(publisher).map(value -> this.convertInputValueIfNecessary(value, type))
 							: Flux.from(publisher).map(value -> this.convertInputValueIfNecessary(value, type));
@@ -498,7 +495,7 @@ public class BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry
 		}
 
 		private Object convertInputValueIfNecessary(Object value, Type type) {
-			System.out.println("Converting value");
+			logger.info("Applying type conversion on actual value ");
 			Object convertedValue = value;
 			if (FunctionTypeUtils.isMultipleArgumentsHolder(value)) {
 				int inputCount = FunctionTypeUtils.getInputCount(functionType);
@@ -516,12 +513,12 @@ public class BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry
 			else {
 				// this needs revisiting as the type is not always Class (think really complex types)
 				Type rawType =  FunctionTypeUtils.unwrapActualTypeByIndex(type, 0);
-				if (/*!(rawType instanceof Class<?>) && */rawType instanceof ParameterizedType) {
+				if (rawType instanceof ParameterizedType) {
 					rawType = ((ParameterizedType) rawType).getRawType();
 				}
 				if (value instanceof Message<?>) { // see AWS adapter with Optional payload
 					if (messageNeedsConversion(rawType, (Message<?>) value)) {
-						convertedValue = messageConverter.fromMessage((Message<?>) value, (Class<?>) rawType, type);
+						convertedValue = messageConverter.fromMessage((Message<?>) value, (Class<?>) rawType);
 						if (FunctionTypeUtils.isMessage(type)) {
 							convertedValue = MessageBuilder.withPayload(convertedValue).copyHeaders(((Message<?>) value).getHeaders()).build();
 						}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/FunctionTypeUtils.java b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/FunctionTypeUtils.java
index 69c151e60..6d3487b6d 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/FunctionTypeUtils.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/catalog/FunctionTypeUtils.java
@@ -35,16 +35,20 @@ import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
  * @author Oleg Zhurakousky
  * @since 3.0
  */
-final class FunctionTypeUtils {
+public final class FunctionTypeUtils {
 
 	private FunctionTypeUtils() {
 
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Will extract the relevant type (e.g., for type conversion purposes). Useful to extract
-	 * types wrapped in Publisher and/or Message.
-	 */
+	public static Type getFunctionType(Object function, FunctionInspector inspector) {
+		FunctionRegistration<?> registration = inspector.getRegistration(function);
+		if (registration != null) {
+			return registration.getType().getType();
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	public static Type unwrapActualTypeByIndex(Type type, int index) {
 		if (isMessage(type) || isPublisher(type)) {
 			if (isPublisher(type)) {
@@ -144,10 +148,9 @@ final class FunctionTypeUtils {
 
 
 	public static boolean isReactive(Type type) {
-		if (type instanceof ParameterizedType) {
-			return Publisher.class.isAssignableFrom(((Class<?>) ((ParameterizedType) type).getRawType()));
-		}
-		return false;
+		Class<?> rawType = type instanceof ParameterizedType
+				? (Class<?>) ((ParameterizedType) type).getRawType() : (type instanceof Class<?> ? (Class<?>) type : Object.class);
+		return Publisher.class.isAssignableFrom(rawType);
 	}
 
 	public static boolean isConsumer(Type type) {
diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration.java b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration.java
index 32dc214d2..13c4588a0 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/config/ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration.java
@@ -90,15 +90,10 @@ public class ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration {
 
 	static final String PREFERRED_MAPPER_PROPERTY = "spring.http.converters.preferred-json-mapper";
 
-//	@Bean
-	public FunctionRegistry functionCatalog() {
-		return new BeanFactoryFunctionCatalog();
-	}
-
 	@Bean
-	public FunctionRegistry functionCatalog(@Nullable ConversionService conversionService, @Nullable CompositeMessageConverter messageConverter,
+	public FunctionRegistry functionCatalog(@Nullable CompositeMessageConverter messageConverter,
 			Map<String, MessageConverter> additionalConverters) {
-		conversionService = conversionService == null ? new DefaultConversionService() : conversionService;
+		ConversionService conversionService = new DefaultConversionService();
 		if (messageConverter == null) {
 			List<MessageConverter> messageConverters = new ArrayList<>();
 			messageConverters.addAll(additionalConverters.values());
@@ -107,6 +102,7 @@ public class ContextFunctionCatalogAutoConfiguration {
 			messageConverters.add(new StringMessageConverter());
 			messageConverter = new CompositeMessageConverter(messageConverters);
 		}
+
 		return new BeanFactoryAwareFunctionRegistry(conversionService, messageConverter);
 	}