diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/ContextLoaderTests.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/ContextLoaderTests.java
index a515820f359..836e17a5ff5 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/ContextLoaderTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/ContextLoaderTests.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.web.context;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.equalTo;
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.is;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.notNullValue;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
@@ -131,6 +132,19 @@ public final class ContextLoaderTests {
 		assertThat(wac.getServletContext().getAttribute("initialized"), notNullValue());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testRegisteredContextInitializerCanAccessServletContextParamsViaEnvironment() {
+		MockServletContext sc = new MockServletContext("");
+		// config file doesn't matter.  just a placeholder
+		sc.addInitParameter(ContextLoader.CONFIG_LOCATION_PARAM,
+				"/org/springframework/web/context/WEB-INF/empty-context.xml");
+
+		sc.addInitParameter("someProperty", "someValue");
+		sc.addInitParameter(ContextLoader.CONTEXT_INITIALIZER_CLASSES_PARAM, EnvApplicationContextInitializer.class.getName());
+		ContextLoaderListener listener = new ContextLoaderListener();
+		listener.contextInitialized(new ServletContextEvent(sc));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testContextLoaderListenerWithUnkownContextInitializer() {
 		MockServletContext sc = new MockServletContext("");
@@ -324,6 +338,15 @@ public final class ContextLoaderTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+	private static class EnvApplicationContextInitializer implements ApplicationContextInitializer<ConfigurableWebApplicationContext> {
+		public void initialize(ConfigurableWebApplicationContext applicationContext) {
+			// test that ApplicationContextInitializers can access ServletContext properties
+			// via the environment (SPR-8991)
+			String value = applicationContext.getEnvironment().getRequiredProperty("someProperty");
+			assertThat(value, is("someValue"));
+		}
+	}
+
 	private static interface UnknownApplicationContext extends ConfigurableApplicationContext {
 		void unheardOf();
 	}
diff --git a/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/ContextLoader.java b/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/ContextLoader.java
index 25c8fa14cb9..79c3d8744ca 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/ContextLoader.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/ContextLoader.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
+import org.springframework.web.context.support.WebApplicationContextUtils;
 
 /**
  * Performs the actual initialization work for the root application context.
@@ -487,6 +488,13 @@ public class ContextLoader {
 
 		Collections.sort(initializerInstances, new AnnotationAwareOrderComparator());
 
+		// eagerly attempt to initialize servlet property sources in case initializers
+		// below depend on accessing context-params via the Environment API. Note that
+		// depending on application context implementation, this initialization will be
+		// attempted again during context refresh.
+		WebApplicationContextUtils.initServletPropertySources(
+				applicationContext.getEnvironment().getPropertySources(), servletContext);
+
 		for (ApplicationContextInitializer<ConfigurableApplicationContext> initializer : initializerInstances) {
 			initializer.initialize(applicationContext);
 		}
diff --git a/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/support/WebApplicationContextUtils.java b/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/support/WebApplicationContextUtils.java
index eb607d1c318..9b9426d112f 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/support/WebApplicationContextUtils.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/support/WebApplicationContextUtils.java
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 
 package org.springframework.web.context.support;
 
+import static org.springframework.web.context.support.StandardServletEnvironment.SERVLET_CONFIG_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME;
+import static org.springframework.web.context.support.StandardServletEnvironment.SERVLET_CONTEXT_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME;
+
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Enumeration;
@@ -32,6 +35,7 @@ import javax.servlet.http.HttpSession;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.ObjectFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.ConfigurableListableBeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.core.env.MutablePropertySources;
+import org.springframework.core.env.PropertySource.StubPropertySource;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 import org.springframework.web.context.ConfigurableWebApplicationContext;
@@ -247,13 +251,15 @@ public abstract class WebApplicationContextUtils {
 	public static void initServletPropertySources(
 			MutablePropertySources propertySources, ServletContext servletContext, ServletConfig servletConfig) {
 		Assert.notNull(propertySources, "propertySources must not be null");
-		if(servletContext != null && propertySources.contains(StandardServletEnvironment.SERVLET_CONTEXT_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME)) {
-			propertySources.replace(StandardServletEnvironment.SERVLET_CONTEXT_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME,
-					new ServletContextPropertySource(StandardServletEnvironment.SERVLET_CONTEXT_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME, servletContext));
+		if(servletContext != null &&
+				propertySources.contains(SERVLET_CONTEXT_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME) &&
+				propertySources.get(SERVLET_CONTEXT_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME) instanceof StubPropertySource) {
+			propertySources.replace(SERVLET_CONTEXT_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME, new ServletContextPropertySource(SERVLET_CONTEXT_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME, servletContext));
 		}
-		if(servletConfig != null && propertySources.contains(StandardServletEnvironment.SERVLET_CONFIG_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME)) {
-			propertySources.replace(StandardServletEnvironment.SERVLET_CONFIG_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME,
-					new ServletConfigPropertySource(StandardServletEnvironment.SERVLET_CONFIG_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME, servletConfig));
+		if(servletConfig != null &&
+				propertySources.contains(SERVLET_CONFIG_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME) &&
+				propertySources.get(SERVLET_CONFIG_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME) instanceof StubPropertySource) {
+			propertySources.replace(SERVLET_CONFIG_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME, new ServletConfigPropertySource(SERVLET_CONFIG_PROPERTY_SOURCE_NAME, servletConfig));
 		}
 	}