diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationProperties.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationProperties.java
index 6da6fca3891..ca780fe2e19 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationProperties.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationProperties.java
@@ -78,10 +78,20 @@ public @interface ConfigurationProperties {
 	boolean exceptionIfInvalid() default true;
 
 	/**
-	 * Optionally provide an explicit resource locations to bind to instead of using the
-	 * default environment.
+	 * Optionally provide explicit resource locations to bind to. By default the
+	 * configuration at these specified locations will be merged with the default
+	 * configuration.
 	 * @return the path (or paths) of resources to bind to
+	 * @see #merge()
 	 */
 	String[] locations() default {};
 
+	/**
+	 * Flag to indicate that configuration loaded from the specified locations should be
+	 * merged with the default configuration.
+	 * @return the flag value (default true)
+	 * @see #locations()
+	 */
+	boolean merge() default true;
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor.java
index 6dff66b337b..dd4876b8d66 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor.java
@@ -262,7 +262,8 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor implements BeanPostProc
 		PropertiesConfigurationFactory<Object> factory = new PropertiesConfigurationFactory<Object>(
 				target);
 		if (annotation != null && annotation.locations().length != 0) {
-			factory.setPropertySources(loadPropertySources(annotation.locations()));
+			factory.setPropertySources(loadPropertySources(annotation.locations(),
+					annotation.merge()));
 		}
 		else {
 			factory.setPropertySources(this.propertySources);
@@ -301,7 +302,8 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor implements BeanPostProc
 		return this.validator;
 	}
 
-	private PropertySources loadPropertySources(String[] locations) {
+	private PropertySources loadPropertySources(String[] locations,
+			boolean mergeDefaultSources) {
 		try {
 			PropertySourcesLoader loader = new PropertySourcesLoader();
 			for (String location : locations) {
@@ -314,7 +316,14 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor implements BeanPostProc
 				}
 				loader.load(resource);
 			}
-			return loader.getPropertySources();
+
+			MutablePropertySources loaded = loader.getPropertySources();
+			if (mergeDefaultSources) {
+				for (PropertySource<?> propertySource : this.propertySources) {
+					loaded.addLast(propertySource);
+				}
+			}
+			return loaded;
 		}
 		catch (IOException ex) {
 			throw new IllegalStateException(ex);
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessorTests.java b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessorTests.java
index 50c55a0e9ae..58367b127fb 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessorTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessorTests.java
@@ -141,6 +141,26 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessorTests {
 				equalTo("foo"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void placeholderResolutionWithCustomLocation() throws Exception {
+		this.context = new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext();
+		EnvironmentTestUtils.addEnvironment(this.context, "fooValue:bar");
+		this.context.register(CustomConfigurationLocation.class);
+		this.context.refresh();
+		assertThat(this.context.getBean(CustomConfigurationLocation.class).getFoo(),
+				equalTo("bar"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void placeholderResolutionWithUnmergedCustomLocation() throws Exception {
+		this.context = new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext();
+		EnvironmentTestUtils.addEnvironment(this.context, "fooValue:bar");
+		this.context.register(UnmergedCustomConfigurationLocation.class);
+		this.context.refresh();
+		assertThat(this.context.getBean(UnmergedCustomConfigurationLocation.class)
+				.getFoo(), equalTo("${fooValue}"));
+	}
+
 	@Configuration
 	@EnableConfigurationProperties
 	public static class TestConfigurationWithValidatingSetter {
@@ -299,4 +319,36 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessorTests {
 
 	}
 
+	@EnableConfigurationProperties
+	@ConfigurationProperties(locations = "custom-location.yml")
+	public static class CustomConfigurationLocation {
+
+		private String foo;
+
+		public String getFoo() {
+			return this.foo;
+		}
+
+		public void setFoo(String foo) {
+			this.foo = foo;
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	@EnableConfigurationProperties
+	@ConfigurationProperties(locations = "custom-location.yml", merge = false)
+	public static class UnmergedCustomConfigurationLocation {
+
+		private String foo;
+
+		public String getFoo() {
+			return this.foo;
+		}
+
+		public void setFoo(String foo) {
+			this.foo = foo;
+		}
+
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/resources/custom-location.yml b/spring-boot/src/test/resources/custom-location.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..60000ea2327
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/resources/custom-location.yml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+foo: ${fooValue}
\ No newline at end of file