diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/intercept/method/aopalliance/MethodSecurityInterceptorTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/intercept/method/aopalliance/MethodSecurityInterceptorTests.java
index 28de5316e5..dea7e2c6ed 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/intercept/method/aopalliance/MethodSecurityInterceptorTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/intercept/method/aopalliance/MethodSecurityInterceptorTests.java
@@ -40,13 +40,12 @@ import net.sf.acegisecurity.intercept.method.MockMethodDefinitionSource;
 import net.sf.acegisecurity.providers.UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken;
 import net.sf.acegisecurity.runas.RunAsManagerImpl;
 
-import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory;
-import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.PropertiesBeanDefinitionReader;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 
 import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.Properties;
 
 
 /**
@@ -399,39 +398,10 @@ public class MethodSecurityInterceptorTests extends TestCase {
     }
 
     private ITargetObject makeInterceptedTarget() {
-        String PREFIX = "beans.";
-        DefaultListableBeanFactory lbf = new DefaultListableBeanFactory();
-        Properties p = new Properties();
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "authentication.class",
-            "net.sf.acegisecurity.MockAuthenticationManager");
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "accessDecision.class",
-            "net.sf.acegisecurity.MockAccessDecisionManager");
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "runAs.class",
-            "net.sf.acegisecurity.MockRunAsManager");
+        ApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
+                "net/sf/acegisecurity/intercept/method/aopalliance/applicationContext.xml");
 
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "securityInterceptor.class",
-            "net.sf.acegisecurity.intercept.method.aopalliance.MethodSecurityInterceptor");
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "securityInterceptor.authenticationManager(ref)",
-            "authentication");
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "securityInterceptor.accessDecisionManager(ref)",
-            "accessDecision");
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "securityInterceptor.runAsManager(ref)", "runAs");
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "securityInterceptor.objectDefinitionSource",
-            "net.sf.acegisecurity.ITargetObject.makeLower*=MOCK_LOWER\r\nnet.sf.acegisecurity.ITargetObject.makeUpper*=MOCK_UPPER,RUN_AS");
-
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "targetObject.class",
-            "net.sf.acegisecurity.TargetObject");
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "target.class",
-            "org.springframework.aop.framework.ProxyFactoryBean");
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "target.proxyInterfaces",
-            "net.sf.acegisecurity.ITargetObject");
-        p.setProperty(PREFIX + "target.interceptorNames",
-            "securityInterceptor,targetObject");
-
-        (new PropertiesBeanDefinitionReader(lbf)).registerBeanDefinitions(p,
-            PREFIX);
-
-        return (ITargetObject) lbf.getBean("target");
+        return (ITargetObject) context.getBean("target");
     }
 
     //~ Inner Classes ==========================================================
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/intercept/method/aopalliance/applicationContext.xml b/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/intercept/method/aopalliance/applicationContext.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b68fd32a5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/acegisecurity/intercept/method/aopalliance/applicationContext.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE beans PUBLIC "-//SPRING//DTD BEAN//EN" "http://www.springframework.org/dtd/spring-beans.dtd">
+<!--
+ * Copyright 2004 Acegi Technology Pty Limited
+ *
+ * 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.
+ *
+ * $Id$
+-->
+
+<beans>
+
+	<bean id="authentication" class="net.sf.acegisecurity.MockAuthenticationManager"/>
+	<bean id="accessDecision" class="net.sf.acegisecurity.MockAccessDecisionManager"/>
+	<bean id="runAs" class="net.sf.acegisecurity.MockRunAsManager"/>
+
+	<bean id="loggerListener" class="net.sf.acegisecurity.intercept.event.LoggerListener"/>
+
+	<bean id="securityInterceptor" class="net.sf.acegisecurity.intercept.method.aopalliance.MethodSecurityInterceptor">
+		<property name="authenticationManager"><ref local="authentication"/></property>
+		<property name="accessDecisionManager"><ref local="accessDecision"/></property>
+		<property name="runAsManager"><ref local="runAs"/></property>
+		<property name="objectDefinitionSource">
+			<value>
+				net.sf.acegisecurity.ITargetObject.makeLower*=MOCK_LOWER
+				net.sf.acegisecurity.ITargetObject.makeUpper*=MOCK_UPPER,RUN_AS
+			</value>
+		</property>
+	</bean>
+	
+	<bean id="target" class="net.sf.acegisecurity.TargetObject"/>
+
+	<!-- Autowire is fine as advisor requires MethodSecurityInterceptor -->
+	<bean id="methodSecurityAdvisor"
+		class="net.sf.acegisecurity.intercept.method.aopalliance.MethodDefinitionSourceAdvisor"
+		autowire="constructor" >
+	</bean>
+	
+	<bean id="autoproxy" 
+		class="org.springframework.aop.framework.autoproxy.DefaultAdvisorAutoProxyCreator">
+	</bean>
+
+</beans>