diff --git a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/DefaultListableBeanFactory.java b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/DefaultListableBeanFactory.java
index b43c0f87f7..68096d9df2 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/DefaultListableBeanFactory.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/DefaultListableBeanFactory.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import java.util.IdentityHashMap;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import javax.inject.Provider;
@@ -108,6 +109,8 @@ public class DefaultListableBeanFactory extends AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFacto
 
 	private static Class<?> javaxInjectProviderClass = null;
 
+	private static Class<?> javaUtilOptionalClass = null;
+
 	static {
 		try {
 			javaxInjectProviderClass =
@@ -116,6 +119,13 @@ public class DefaultListableBeanFactory extends AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFacto
 		catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
 			// JSR-330 API not available - Provider interface simply not supported then.
 		}
+		try {
+			javaUtilOptionalClass =
+					ClassUtils.forName("java.util.Optional", DefaultListableBeanFactory.class.getClassLoader());
+		}
+		catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
+			// Java 8 not available - Optional references simply not supported then.
+		}
 	}
 
 
@@ -854,6 +864,9 @@ public class DefaultListableBeanFactory extends AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFacto
 		else if (descriptor.getDependencyType().equals(javaxInjectProviderClass)) {
 			return new DependencyProviderFactory().createDependencyProvider(descriptor, beanName);
 		}
+		else if (descriptor.getDependencyType().equals(javaUtilOptionalClass)) {
+			return new OptionalDependencyFactory().createOptionalDependency(descriptor, beanName);
+		}
 		else {
 			Object result = getAutowireCandidateResolver().getLazyResolutionProxyIfNecessary(descriptor, beanName);
 			if (result == null) {
@@ -1319,4 +1332,22 @@ public class DefaultListableBeanFactory extends AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFacto
 		}
 	}
 
+
+	/**
+	 * Separate inner class for avoiding a hard dependency on the {@code javax.inject} API.
+	 */
+	private class OptionalDependencyFactory {
+
+		public Object createOptionalDependency(DependencyDescriptor descriptor, String beanName) {
+			DependencyDescriptor descriptorToUse = new DependencyDescriptor(descriptor) {
+				@Override
+				public boolean isRequired() {
+					return false;
+				}
+			};
+			descriptorToUse.increaseNestingLevel();
+			return Optional.ofNullable(doResolveDependency(descriptorToUse, beanName, null, null));
+		}
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/InjectAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests.java b/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/InjectAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests.java
index a18a25e05a..4836140087 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/InjectAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/InjectAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2013 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2014 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.
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation;
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import javax.inject.Inject;
 import javax.inject.Named;
 import javax.inject.Provider;
@@ -573,6 +574,62 @@ public class InjectAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests {
 		bf.destroySingletons();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testOptionalFieldInjectionWithBeanAvailable() {
+		DefaultListableBeanFactory bf = new DefaultListableBeanFactory();
+		AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor bpp = new AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor();
+		bpp.setBeanFactory(bf);
+		bf.addBeanPostProcessor(bpp);
+		bf.registerBeanDefinition("annotatedBean", new RootBeanDefinition(OptionalFieldInjectionBean.class));
+		bf.registerBeanDefinition("testBean", new RootBeanDefinition(TestBean.class));
+
+		OptionalFieldInjectionBean bean = (OptionalFieldInjectionBean) bf.getBean("annotatedBean");
+		assertTrue(bean.getTestBean().isPresent());
+		assertSame(bf.getBean("testBean"), bean.getTestBean().get());
+		bf.destroySingletons();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testOptionalFieldInjectionWithBeanNotAvailable() {
+		DefaultListableBeanFactory bf = new DefaultListableBeanFactory();
+		AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor bpp = new AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor();
+		bpp.setBeanFactory(bf);
+		bf.addBeanPostProcessor(bpp);
+		bf.registerBeanDefinition("annotatedBean", new RootBeanDefinition(OptionalFieldInjectionBean.class));
+
+		OptionalFieldInjectionBean bean = (OptionalFieldInjectionBean) bf.getBean("annotatedBean");
+		assertFalse(bean.getTestBean().isPresent());
+		bf.destroySingletons();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testOptionalMethodInjectionWithBeanAvailable() {
+		DefaultListableBeanFactory bf = new DefaultListableBeanFactory();
+		AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor bpp = new AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor();
+		bpp.setBeanFactory(bf);
+		bf.addBeanPostProcessor(bpp);
+		bf.registerBeanDefinition("annotatedBean", new RootBeanDefinition(OptionalMethodInjectionBean.class));
+		bf.registerBeanDefinition("testBean", new RootBeanDefinition(TestBean.class));
+
+		OptionalMethodInjectionBean bean = (OptionalMethodInjectionBean) bf.getBean("annotatedBean");
+		assertTrue(bean.getTestBean().isPresent());
+		assertSame(bf.getBean("testBean"), bean.getTestBean().get());
+		bf.destroySingletons();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testOptionalMethodInjectionWithBeanNotAvailable() {
+		DefaultListableBeanFactory bf = new DefaultListableBeanFactory();
+		AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor bpp = new AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor();
+		bpp.setBeanFactory(bf);
+		bf.addBeanPostProcessor(bpp);
+		bf.registerBeanDefinition("annotatedBean", new RootBeanDefinition(OptionalMethodInjectionBean.class));
+
+		OptionalMethodInjectionBean bean = (OptionalMethodInjectionBean) bf.getBean("annotatedBean");
+		assertFalse(bean.getTestBean().isPresent());
+		bf.destroySingletons();
+	}
+
 
 	public static class ResourceInjectionBean {
 
@@ -1099,4 +1156,30 @@ public class InjectAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+
+	public static class OptionalFieldInjectionBean {
+
+		@Inject
+		private Optional<TestBean> testBean;
+
+		public Optional<TestBean> getTestBean() {
+			return this.testBean;
+		}
+	}
+
+
+	public static class OptionalMethodInjectionBean {
+
+		private Optional<TestBean> testBean;
+
+		@Inject
+		public void setTestBean(Optional<TestBean> testBeanFactory) {
+			this.testBean = testBeanFactory;
+		}
+
+		public Optional<TestBean> getTestBean() {
+			return this.testBean;
+		}
+	}
+
 }