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 3e4707f4ba7..b3efdaa69a0 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
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@ import org.springframework.boot.bind.PropertiesConfigurationFactory;
 import org.springframework.boot.env.PropertySourcesLoader;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationListener;
 import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.EnvironmentAware;
 import org.springframework.context.ResourceLoaderAware;
+import org.springframework.context.event.ContextRefreshedEvent;
 import org.springframework.context.support.PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer;
 import org.springframework.core.Ordered;
 import org.springframework.core.PriorityOrdered;
@@ -71,9 +73,10 @@ import org.springframework.validation.beanvalidation.LocalValidatorFactoryBean;
  * @author Christian Dupuis
  * @author Stephane Nicoll
  */
-public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor implements BeanPostProcessor,
-		BeanFactoryAware, ResourceLoaderAware, EnvironmentAware, ApplicationContextAware,
-		InitializingBean, DisposableBean, PriorityOrdered {
+public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor
+		implements BeanPostProcessor, BeanFactoryAware, ResourceLoaderAware,
+		EnvironmentAware, ApplicationContextAware, InitializingBean, DisposableBean,
+		ApplicationListener<ContextRefreshedEvent>, PriorityOrdered {
 
 	/**
 	 * The bean name of the configuration properties validator.
@@ -87,7 +90,7 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor implements BeanPostProc
 
 	private PropertySources propertySources;
 
-	private Validator validator;
+	private volatile Validator validator;
 
 	private boolean ownedValidator = false;
 
@@ -192,6 +195,22 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor implements BeanPostProc
 		if (this.propertySources == null) {
 			this.propertySources = deducePropertySources();
 		}
+		initializeValidator();
+		if (this.conversionService == null) {
+			this.conversionService = getOptionalBean(
+					ConfigurableApplicationContext.CONVERSION_SERVICE_BEAN_NAME,
+					ConversionService.class);
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void onApplicationEvent(ContextRefreshedEvent event) {
+		if (this.validator != null && isJsr303Present()) {
+			this.validator = null; // allow it to be garbage collected
+		}
+	}
+
+	private void initializeValidator() {
 		if (this.validator == null) {
 			this.validator = getOptionalBean(VALIDATOR_BEAN_NAME, Validator.class);
 			if (this.validator == null && isJsr303Present()) {
@@ -200,11 +219,6 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor implements BeanPostProc
 				this.ownedValidator = true;
 			}
 		}
-		if (this.conversionService == null) {
-			this.conversionService = getOptionalBean(
-					ConfigurableApplicationContext.CONVERSION_SERVICE_BEAN_NAME,
-					ConversionService.class);
-		}
 	}
 
 	private boolean isJsr303Present() {
@@ -219,7 +233,7 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor implements BeanPostProc
 
 	@Override
 	public void destroy() throws Exception {
-		if (this.ownedValidator) {
+		if (this.ownedValidator && this.validator != null) {
 			((DisposableBean) this.validator).destroy();
 		}
 	}
@@ -339,6 +353,7 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor implements BeanPostProc
 	}
 
 	private Validator determineValidator(Object bean) {
+		initializeValidator();
 		boolean globalValidatorSupportBean = (this.validator != null
 				&& this.validator.supports(bean.getClass()));
 		if (ClassUtils.isAssignable(Validator.class, bean.getClass())) {
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 a67e9e13d1f..49d1cfa7dfc 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
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
 import org.springframework.context.support.PropertySourcesPlaceholderConfigurer;
 import org.springframework.mock.env.MockEnvironment;
+import org.springframework.test.util.ReflectionTestUtils;
 import org.springframework.validation.BindException;
 import org.springframework.validation.Errors;
 import org.springframework.validation.ValidationUtils;
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.startsWith;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
@@ -116,6 +118,16 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessorTests {
 		assertBindingFailure(2);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testValidationAndNullOutValidator() {
+		this.context = new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext();
+		this.context.register(TestConfiguration.class);
+		this.context.refresh();
+		ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor bean = this.context
+				.getBean(ConfigurationPropertiesBindingPostProcessor.class);
+		assertNull(ReflectionTestUtils.getField(bean, "validator"));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testSuccessfulValidationWithJSR303() {
 		MockEnvironment env = new MockEnvironment();