diff --git a/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AbstractBeanFactory.java b/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AbstractBeanFactory.java
index b764e2efdb..bab5762070 100644
--- a/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AbstractBeanFactory.java
+++ b/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AbstractBeanFactory.java
@@ -373,6 +373,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractBeanFactory extends FactoryBeanRegistrySupport imp
 				return !BeanFactoryUtils.isFactoryDereference(name);
 			}
 		}
+		else if (containsSingleton(beanName)) {
+			return true;
+		}
 
 		else {
 			// No singleton instance found -> check bean definition.
@@ -465,6 +468,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractBeanFactory extends FactoryBeanRegistrySupport imp
 						typeToMatch.isAssignableFrom(beanInstance.getClass());
 			}
 		}
+		else if (containsSingleton(beanName) && !containsBeanDefinition(beanName)) {
+			// null instance registered
+			return false;
+		}
 
 		else {
 			// No singleton instance found -> check bean definition.
@@ -524,6 +531,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractBeanFactory extends FactoryBeanRegistrySupport imp
 				return beanInstance.getClass();
 			}
 		}
+		else if (containsSingleton(beanName) && !containsBeanDefinition(beanName)) {
+			// null instance registered
+			return null;
+		}
 
 		else {
 			// No singleton instance found -> check bean definition.
@@ -860,6 +871,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractBeanFactory extends FactoryBeanRegistrySupport imp
 		if (beanInstance != null) {
 			return (beanInstance instanceof FactoryBean);
 		}
+		else if (containsSingleton(beanName)) {
+			// null instance registered
+			return false;
+		}
 
 		// No singleton instance found -> check bean definition.
 		if (!containsBeanDefinition(beanName) && getParentBeanFactory() instanceof ConfigurableBeanFactory) {
diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContextTests.java b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContextTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..67b3f54c7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContextTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2010 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.context.support;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory;
+
+/**
+ * @author Juergen Hoeller
+ * @author Chris Beams
+ */
+public class GenericApplicationContextTests {
+
+	@Test
+	public void nullBeanRegistration() {
+			DefaultListableBeanFactory bf = new DefaultListableBeanFactory();
+			bf.registerSingleton("nullBean", null);
+			new GenericApplicationContext(bf).refresh();
+	}
+
+}