diff --git a/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/SpringClientFactory.java b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/SpringClientFactory.java
index f3ebd424..e63d49f0 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/SpringClientFactory.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/SpringClientFactory.java
@@ -80,29 +80,28 @@ public class SpringClientFactory extends NamedContextFactory<RibbonClientSpecifi
 	}
 
 	static <C> C instantiateWithConfig(AnnotationConfigApplicationContext context,
-			Class<C> clazz, IClientConfig config) {
+										Class<C> clazz, IClientConfig config) {
 		C result = null;
-
+		
 		try {
 			Constructor<C> constructor = clazz.getConstructor(IClientConfig.class);
 			result = constructor.newInstance(config);
-		}
-		catch (Throwable e) {
+		} catch (Throwable e) {
 			// Ignored
 		}
-
+		
 		if (result == null) {
 			result = BeanUtils.instantiate(clazz);
-
+			
 			if (result instanceof IClientConfigAware) {
 				((IClientConfigAware) result).initWithNiwsConfig(config);
 			}
-
+			
 			if (context != null) {
 				context.getAutowireCapableBeanFactory().autowireBean(result);
 			}
 		}
-
+		
 		return result;
 	}
 
@@ -120,4 +119,6 @@ public class SpringClientFactory extends NamedContextFactory<RibbonClientSpecifi
 	protected AnnotationConfigApplicationContext getContext(String name) {
 		return super.getContext(name);
 	}
+
 }
+
diff --git a/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/zuul/ZuulConfiguration.java b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/zuul/ZuulConfiguration.java
index 66d4c2fe..920fd69d 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/zuul/ZuulConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/zuul/ZuulConfiguration.java
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ public class ZuulConfiguration {
 	}
 
 	@Bean
-	@ConditionalOnProperty(value = "zuul.context.startup.enabled", matchIfMissing = false)
+	@ConditionalOnProperty(value = "zuul.ribbon.eager-load", matchIfMissing = false)
 	public ZuulRouteApplicationContextInitializer zuulRoutesApplicationContextInitiazer(
 			SpringClientFactory springClientFactory) {
 		return new ZuulRouteApplicationContextInitializer(springClientFactory,
diff --git a/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/RibbonApplicationContextInitializerTests.java b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/RibbonApplicationContextInitializerTests.java
index 9b34ad60..e894afb3 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/RibbonApplicationContextInitializerTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/RibbonApplicationContextInitializerTests.java
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest;
 import org.springframework.cloud.netflix.archaius.ArchaiusAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
-import org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
 import org.springframework.test.annotation.DirtiesContext;
@@ -16,7 +15,6 @@ import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
-import static org.springframework.boot.test.util.EnvironmentTestUtils.addEnvironment;
 
 /**
  * @author Biju Kunjummen
@@ -43,7 +41,6 @@ public class RibbonApplicationContextInitializerTests {
 		assertThat(foo).isNotNull();
 	}
 
-	@Configuration
 	static class FooConfig {
 
 		@Bean
diff --git a/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/zuul/filters/route/EagerLoadOfZuulConfigurationTests.java b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/zuul/filters/route/EagerLoadOfZuulConfigurationTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..14dfdd44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/zuul/filters/route/EagerLoadOfZuulConfigurationTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+package org.springframework.cloud.netflix.zuul.filters.route;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.EnableAutoConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest;
+import org.springframework.cloud.netflix.ribbon.RibbonClient;
+import org.springframework.cloud.netflix.ribbon.RibbonClients;
+import org.springframework.cloud.netflix.zuul.EnableZuulProxy;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+import org.springframework.test.annotation.DirtiesContext;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringRunner;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+@RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
+@SpringBootTest(value = { "zuul.routes.myroute.service-id=eager",
+		"zuul.ribbon.eager-load=true" })
+@DirtiesContext
+public class EagerLoadOfZuulConfigurationTests {
+
+	@Test
+	public void testEagerLoading() {
+		// Child context FooConfig should have been eagerly instantiated..
+		assertThat(Foo.getInstanceCount()).isEqualTo(1);
+	}
+
+	@EnableAutoConfiguration
+	@Configuration
+	@EnableZuulProxy
+	@RibbonClients(@RibbonClient(name = "eager", configuration = FooConfig.class))
+	static class TestConfig {
+
+	}
+
+	static class Foo {
+		private static final AtomicInteger INSTANCE_COUNT = new AtomicInteger();
+
+		public Foo() {
+			INSTANCE_COUNT.incrementAndGet();
+		}
+
+		public static int getInstanceCount() {
+			return INSTANCE_COUNT.get();
+		}
+	}
+
+	static class FooConfig {
+
+		@Bean
+		public Foo foo() {
+			return new Foo();
+		}
+
+	}
+}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/zuul/filters/route/LazyLoadOfZuulConfigurationTests.java b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/zuul/filters/route/LazyLoadOfZuulConfigurationTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..280a9191
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/zuul/filters/route/LazyLoadOfZuulConfigurationTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+package org.springframework.cloud.netflix.zuul.filters.route;
+
+import com.netflix.loadbalancer.Server;
+import com.netflix.loadbalancer.ServerList;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
+import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.EnableAutoConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest;
+import org.springframework.boot.test.web.client.TestRestTemplate;
+import org.springframework.cloud.netflix.ribbon.RibbonClient;
+import org.springframework.cloud.netflix.ribbon.RibbonClients;
+import org.springframework.cloud.netflix.ribbon.StaticServerList;
+import org.springframework.cloud.netflix.zuul.EnableZuulProxy;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
+import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
+import org.springframework.test.annotation.DirtiesContext;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringRunner;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+@RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
+@SpringBootTest(webEnvironment = SpringBootTest.WebEnvironment.RANDOM_PORT, value = {
+		"zuul.routes.myroute.service-id=eager", "zuul.routes.myroute.path=/eager/**" })
+@DirtiesContext
+public class LazyLoadOfZuulConfigurationTests {
+
+	@Value("${local.server.port}")
+	protected int port;
+
+	@Test
+	public void testEagerLoading() {
+		// Child context FooConfig should be lazily created..
+		assertThat(Foo.getInstanceCount()).isEqualTo(0);
+
+		String uri = String.format("http://localhost:%d/eager/sample", this.port);
+
+		ResponseEntity<String> result = new TestRestTemplate().getForEntity(uri,
+				String.class);
+
+		// the instance should be available now..
+		assertThat(Foo.getInstanceCount()).isEqualTo(1);
+
+		assertThat(result.getStatusCode()).isEqualTo(HttpStatus.OK);
+		assertThat(result.getBody()).isEqualTo("sample");
+	}
+
+	@EnableAutoConfiguration
+	@Configuration
+	@EnableZuulProxy
+	@RibbonClients(@RibbonClient(name = "eager", configuration = FooConfig.class))
+	static class TestConfig {
+
+	}
+
+	static class Foo {
+		private static final AtomicInteger INSTANCE_COUNT = new AtomicInteger();
+
+		public Foo() {
+			INSTANCE_COUNT.incrementAndGet();
+		}
+
+		public static int getInstanceCount() {
+			return INSTANCE_COUNT.get();
+		}
+	}
+
+	static class FooConfig {
+
+		@Bean
+		public Foo foo() {
+			return new Foo();
+		}
+
+		@Value("${local.server.port}")
+		private int port;
+
+		@Bean
+		public ServerList<Server> ribbonServerList() {
+			return new StaticServerList<>(new Server("localhost", this.port));
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	@Configuration
+	@RestController
+	static class SampleWebConfig {
+
+		@RequestMapping("/sample")
+		public String sampleEndpoint() {
+			return "sample";
+		}
+
+	}
+}