diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/message/MessageUtils.java b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/message/MessageUtils.java
index 375772b47..64c9c975a 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/message/MessageUtils.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/context/message/MessageUtils.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.cloud.function.context.message;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.springframework.cloud.function.core.FluxWrapper;
@@ -49,6 +50,11 @@ public abstract class MessageUtils {
 		if (handler instanceof FluxWrapper) {
 			handler = ((FluxWrapper<?>) handler).getTarget();
 		}
+		if (payload instanceof Message) {
+			headers = new HashMap<>(headers);
+			headers.putAll(((Message<?>) payload).getHeaders());
+			payload = ((Message<?>) payload).getPayload();
+		}
 		if (!(handler instanceof Isolated)) {
 			return MessageBuilder.withPayload(payload).copyHeaders(headers).build();
 		}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/stream/function/ClassLoaderUtils.java b/spring-cloud-function-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/stream/function/ClassLoaderUtils.java
index 5bd4a2826..6ebbe69b9 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-function-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/stream/function/ClassLoaderUtils.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/stream/function/ClassLoaderUtils.java
@@ -23,13 +23,33 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.jar.JarFile;
 
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
+import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+import reactor.core.publisher.Flux;
+
 /**
  * @author Dave Syer
  *
  */
 public class ClassLoaderUtils {
+	
+	@Test
+	public void fluxIsShared() {
+		Class<?> flux = ClassUtils.resolveClassName(Flux.class.getName(), createClassLoader());
+		assertThat(flux).isEqualTo(Flux.class);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void messageIsNotShared() {
+		Class<?> flux = ClassUtils.resolveClassName(Message.class.getName(), createClassLoader());
+		assertThat(flux).isNotEqualTo(Message.class);
+	}
 
 	public static ClassLoader createClassLoader() {
 		URL[] urls = findClassPath();
diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/stream/function/MessageUtilsTests.java b/spring-cloud-function-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/stream/function/MessageUtilsTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bd537b4bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/stream/function/MessageUtilsTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2016-2017 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.cloud.function.stream.function;
+
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.function.Function;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import org.springframework.beans.BeanUtils;
+import org.springframework.cloud.function.context.message.MessageUtils;
+import org.springframework.cloud.function.core.IsolatedFunction;
+import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
+import org.springframework.messaging.support.MessageBuilder;
+import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+/**
+ * @author Dave Syer
+ *
+ */
+public class MessageUtilsTests {
+
+	private ClassLoader loader = ClassLoaderUtils.createClassLoader();
+
+	@Test
+	public void testCreateNotIsolated() throws Exception {
+		Object function = new Uppercase();
+		Object output = MessageUtils.create(function, "foo", Collections.emptyMap());
+		assertThat(output).isInstanceOf(Message.class);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testUnpackNotIsolated() throws Exception {
+		Object function = new Uppercase();
+		Object output = MessageUtils.unpack(function,
+				MessageBuilder.withPayload("foo").build());
+		assertThat(output).isInstanceOf(Message.class);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testUnpackNotIsolatedNotMessage() throws Exception {
+		Object function = new Uppercase();
+		Object output = MessageUtils.unpack(function, "foo");
+		assertThat(output).isInstanceOf(Message.class);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testUnpackIsolated() throws Exception {
+		Object function = create(Uppercase.class);
+		Object output = MessageUtils.unpack(function, message(function, "foo"));
+		assertThat(output).isInstanceOf(Message.class);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testUnpackIsolatedNotMessage() throws Exception {
+		Object function = create(Uppercase.class);
+		Object output = MessageUtils.unpack(function, "foo");
+		assertThat(output).isInstanceOf(Message.class);
+		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+		Message<String> message = (Message<String>)output;
+		assertThat(message.getPayload()).isEqualTo("foo");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testCreateIsolated() throws Exception {
+		Object function = create(Uppercase.class);
+		Object output = MessageUtils.create(function, "foo", Collections.emptyMap());
+		assertThat(output).isNotInstanceOf(Message.class);
+	}
+
+	private Object message(Object function, Object payload) {
+		return MessageUtils.create(function, payload, Collections.emptyMap());
+	}
+
+	private Object create(Class<Uppercase> type) {
+		return new IsolatedFunction<>((Function<?, ?>) BeanUtils
+				.instantiate(ClassUtils.resolveClassName(type.getName(), loader)));
+	}
+
+	public static class Uppercase implements Function<Message<String>, Message<String>> {
+		@Override
+		public Message<String> apply(Message<String> message) {
+			return MessageBuilder.withPayload(message.getPayload().toUpperCase())
+					.copyHeadersIfAbsent(message.getHeaders()).build();
+		}
+	}
+}