diff --git a/spring-cloud-stream/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/stream/binding/SubscribableChannelBindingTargetFactory.java b/spring-cloud-stream/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/stream/binding/SubscribableChannelBindingTargetFactory.java
index 2b301e711..93830eb72 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-stream/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/stream/binding/SubscribableChannelBindingTargetFactory.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-stream/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/stream/binding/SubscribableChannelBindingTargetFactory.java
@@ -16,10 +16,9 @@
 
 package org.springframework.cloud.stream.binding;
 
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.cloud.stream.messaging.DirectWithAttributesChannel;
-import org.springframework.cloud.stream.messaging.Sink;
-import org.springframework.cloud.stream.messaging.Source;
 import org.springframework.context.support.GenericApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.messaging.SubscribableChannel;
 
@@ -48,25 +47,59 @@ public class SubscribableChannelBindingTargetFactory
 
 	@Override
 	public SubscribableChannel createInput(String name) {
-		DirectWithAttributesChannel subscribableChannel = new DirectWithAttributesChannel();
-		subscribableChannel.setComponentName(name);
-		subscribableChannel.setAttribute("type", Sink.INPUT);
-		this.messageChannelConfigurer.configureInputChannel(subscribableChannel, name);
-		if (context != null && !context.containsBean(name)) {
-			context.registerBean(name, DirectWithAttributesChannel.class, () -> subscribableChannel);
+		SubscribableChannel subscribableChannel = null;
+		if (context != null && context.containsBean(name)) {
+			try {
+				subscribableChannel = context.getBean(name, SubscribableChannel.class);
+			}
+			catch (BeanCreationException e) {
+				// ignore
+				/*
+				 * Since we still support annotation-based programming model, this exception happens
+				 * because of proxies related to @Input @Output
+				 */
+			}
 		}
+		if (subscribableChannel == null) {
+			DirectWithAttributesChannel channel = new DirectWithAttributesChannel();
+			channel.setComponentName(name);
+			if (context != null && !context.containsBean(name)) {
+				context.registerBean(name, DirectWithAttributesChannel.class, () -> channel);
+			}
+			subscribableChannel = channel;
+		}
+		if (subscribableChannel instanceof DirectWithAttributesChannel) {
+			((DirectWithAttributesChannel) subscribableChannel).setAttribute("type", "input");
+			this.messageChannelConfigurer.configureInputChannel(subscribableChannel, name);
+		}
+
 		return subscribableChannel;
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public SubscribableChannel createOutput(String name) {
-		DirectWithAttributesChannel subscribableChannel = new DirectWithAttributesChannel();
-		subscribableChannel.setComponentName(name);
-		subscribableChannel.setAttribute("type", Source.OUTPUT);
-		this.messageChannelConfigurer.configureOutputChannel(subscribableChannel, name);
-		if (context != null && !context.containsBean(name)) {
-			context.registerBean(name, DirectWithAttributesChannel.class, () -> subscribableChannel);
+		SubscribableChannel subscribableChannel = null;
+		if (context != null && context.containsBean(name)) {
+			try {
+				subscribableChannel = context.getBean(name, SubscribableChannel.class);
+			}
+			catch (BeanCreationException e) {
+				// ignore
+			}
 		}
+		if (subscribableChannel == null) {
+			DirectWithAttributesChannel channel = new DirectWithAttributesChannel();
+			channel.setComponentName(name);
+			if (context != null && !context.containsBean(name)) {
+				context.registerBean(name, DirectWithAttributesChannel.class, () -> channel);
+			}
+			subscribableChannel = channel;
+		}
+		if (subscribableChannel instanceof DirectWithAttributesChannel) {
+			((DirectWithAttributesChannel) subscribableChannel).setAttribute("type", "output");
+			this.messageChannelConfigurer.configureOutputChannel(subscribableChannel, name);
+		}
+
 		return subscribableChannel;
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-cloud-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/stream/function/ImplicitFunctionBindingTests.java b/spring-cloud-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/stream/function/ImplicitFunctionBindingTests.java
index db3802855..15762dfdf 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/stream/function/ImplicitFunctionBindingTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/stream/function/ImplicitFunctionBindingTests.java
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import org.springframework.cloud.stream.binder.test.OutputDestination;
 import org.springframework.cloud.stream.binder.test.TestChannelBinderConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.cloud.stream.binding.BindingsLifecycleController;
 import org.springframework.cloud.stream.binding.BindingsLifecycleController.State;
+import org.springframework.cloud.stream.messaging.DirectWithAttributesChannel;
 import org.springframework.cloud.stream.messaging.Sink;
 import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ import org.springframework.integration.support.MessageBuilder;
 import org.springframework.kafka.support.KafkaNull;
 import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
 import org.springframework.messaging.MessageHeaders;
+import org.springframework.messaging.SubscribableChannel;
 import org.springframework.messaging.support.GenericMessage;
 import org.springframework.scheduling.support.PeriodicTrigger;
 
@@ -79,6 +81,23 @@ public class ImplicitFunctionBindingTests {
 		System.clearProperty("spring.cloud.function.definition");
 	}
 
+
+	@Test
+	public void testExplicitChannelConfiguration() {
+		try (ConfigurableApplicationContext context = new SpringApplicationBuilder(
+				TestChannelBinderConfiguration.getCompleteConfiguration(ExplicitChannelConfiguration.class))
+						.web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
+						.run("--spring.jmx.enabled=false", "--spring.cloud.function.definition=echo")) {
+
+			InputDestination input = context.getBean(InputDestination.class);
+			input.send(new GenericMessage<byte[]>("hello".getBytes()), "echo-in-0");
+
+			OutputDestination output = context.getBean(OutputDestination.class);
+			Message<byte[]> result = output.receive(1000, "echo-out-0");
+			assertThat(result.getPayload()).isEqualTo("hello".getBytes());
+		}
+	}
+
 	@SuppressWarnings({"rawtypes" })
 	@Test
 	public void testDisableAutodetect() {
@@ -1457,6 +1476,20 @@ public class ImplicitFunctionBindingTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@EnableAutoConfiguration
+	public static class ExplicitChannelConfiguration {
+
+		@Bean("echo-in-0")
+		public SubscribableChannel myChannel() {
+			return new DirectWithAttributesChannel();
+		}
+
+		@Bean
+		public Function<String, String> echo() {
+			return x -> x;
+		}
+	}
+
 	public static class Person {
 		private String name;
 		private int id;