diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/orm/jpa/HibernateJpaAutoConfiguration.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/orm/jpa/HibernateJpaAutoConfiguration.java
index 6c6cfe009ae..fc167cf5016 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/orm/jpa/HibernateJpaAutoConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/orm/jpa/HibernateJpaAutoConfiguration.java
@@ -74,6 +74,14 @@ public class HibernateJpaAutoConfiguration extends JpaBaseConfiguration {
 			"org.hibernate.engine.transaction.jta.platform.internal.NoJtaPlatform",
 			"org.hibernate.service.jta.platform.internal.NoJtaPlatform" };
 
+	/**
+	 * {@code WebSphereExtendedJtaPlatform} implementations for various Hibernate
+	 * versions.
+	 */
+	private static final String WEBSHERE_JTA_PLATFORM_CLASSES[] = {
+			"org.hibernate.engine.transaction.jta.platform.internal.WebSphereExtendedJtaPlatform",
+			"org.hibernate.service.jta.platform.internal.WebSphereExtendedJtaPlatform", };
+
 	@Autowired
 	private JpaProperties properties;
 
@@ -104,25 +112,14 @@ public class HibernateJpaAutoConfiguration extends JpaBaseConfiguration {
 			throws LinkageError {
 		JtaTransactionManager jtaTransactionManager = getJtaTransactionManager();
 		if (jtaTransactionManager != null) {
-			try {
-				vendorProperties.put(JTA_PLATFORM, new SpringJtaPlatform(
-						jtaTransactionManager));
+			if (runningOnWebSphere()) {
+				// We can never use SpringJtaPlatform on WebSphere as
+				// WebSphereUowTransactionManger has a null TransactionManager
+				// which will cause Hibernate to NPE
+				configureWebSphereTransactionPlatform(vendorProperties);
 			}
-			catch (NoClassDefFoundError ex) {
-				// Can happen if Hibernate 4.2 is used (for example on WAS)
-				if (isUsingJndi()) {
-					// Assume that we are not using a stand-alone transaction manager
-					// and Hibernate will use JNDI
-					if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-						logger.debug("Unable to set Hibernate JTA platform : "
-								+ ex.getMessage());
-					}
-				}
-				else {
-					throw new IllegalStateException("Unable to set Hibernate JTA "
-							+ "platform, are you using the correct "
-							+ "version of hibernate?", ex);
-				}
+			else {
+				configureSpringJtaPlatform(vendorProperties, jtaTransactionManager);
 			}
 		}
 		else {
@@ -130,6 +127,56 @@ public class HibernateJpaAutoConfiguration extends JpaBaseConfiguration {
 		}
 	}
 
+	private boolean runningOnWebSphere() {
+		return ClassUtils.isPresent(
+				"com.ibm.websphere.jtaextensions.ExtendedJTATransaction", getClass()
+						.getClassLoader());
+	}
+
+	private void configureWebSphereTransactionPlatform(
+			Map<String, Object> vendorProperties) {
+		vendorProperties.put(JTA_PLATFORM, getWebSphereJtaPlatformManager());
+	}
+
+	private Object getWebSphereJtaPlatformManager() {
+		return getJtaPlatformManager(WEBSHERE_JTA_PLATFORM_CLASSES);
+	}
+
+	private Object getJtaPlatformManager(String[] candidates) {
+		for (String candidate : candidates) {
+			try {
+				return Class.forName(candidate).newInstance();
+			}
+			catch (Exception ex) {
+				// Continue searching
+			}
+		}
+		throw new IllegalStateException("Could not configure JTA platform");
+	}
+
+	private void configureSpringJtaPlatform(Map<String, Object> vendorProperties,
+			JtaTransactionManager jtaTransactionManager) {
+		try {
+			vendorProperties.put(JTA_PLATFORM, new SpringJtaPlatform(
+					jtaTransactionManager));
+		}
+		catch (NoClassDefFoundError ex) {
+			// Can happen if Hibernate 4.2 is used
+			if (isUsingJndi()) {
+				// Assume that Hibernate will use JNDI
+				if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+					logger.debug("Unable to set Hibernate JTA platform : "
+							+ ex.getMessage());
+				}
+			}
+			else {
+				throw new IllegalStateException("Unable to set Hibernate JTA "
+						+ "platform, are you using the correct "
+						+ "version of Hibernate?", ex);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	private boolean isUsingJndi() {
 		try {
 			return JndiLocatorDelegate.isDefaultJndiEnvironmentAvailable();
@@ -140,15 +187,7 @@ public class HibernateJpaAutoConfiguration extends JpaBaseConfiguration {
 	}
 
 	private Object getNoJtaPlatformManager() {
-		for (String noJtaPlatformClass : NO_JTA_PLATFORM_CLASSES) {
-			try {
-				return Class.forName(noJtaPlatformClass).newInstance();
-			}
-			catch (Exception ex) {
-				// Continue searching
-			}
-		}
-		throw new IllegalStateException("Could not configure JTA platform");
+		return getJtaPlatformManager(NO_JTA_PLATFORM_CLASSES);
 	}
 
 	@Order(Ordered.HIGHEST_PRECEDENCE + 20)
diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/orm/jpa/HibernateJpaAutoConfigurationTests.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/orm/jpa/HibernateJpaAutoConfigurationTests.java
index 16a290c7f02..c0a1cb15118 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/orm/jpa/HibernateJpaAutoConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/orm/jpa/HibernateJpaAutoConfigurationTests.java
@@ -32,11 +32,13 @@ import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.flyway.FlywayAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.jta.JtaAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.jta.JtaProperties;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.liquibase.LiquibaseAutoConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.boot.orm.jpa.hibernate.SpringJtaPlatform;
 import org.springframework.boot.test.EnvironmentTestUtils;
 import org.springframework.jdbc.core.JdbcTemplate;
 import org.springframework.orm.jpa.LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.instanceOf;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.not;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
@@ -148,6 +150,17 @@ public class HibernateJpaAutoConfigurationTests extends AbstractJpaAutoConfigura
 		this.context.refresh();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void defaultJtaPlatform() throws Exception {
+		this.context.register(JtaProperties.class, JtaAutoConfiguration.class);
+		setupTestConfiguration();
+		this.context.refresh();
+		Map<String, Object> jpaPropertyMap = this.context.getBean(
+				LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean.class).getJpaPropertyMap();
+		assertThat(jpaPropertyMap.get("hibernate.transaction.jta.platform"),
+				instanceOf(SpringJtaPlatform.class));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testCustomJtaPlatform() throws Exception {
 		EnvironmentTestUtils.addEnvironment(this.context,