diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/FrameworkServlet.java b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/FrameworkServlet.java
index 6b2ffa4f07..1a36b0a7c0 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/FrameworkServlet.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/FrameworkServlet.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponseWrapper;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.BeanUtils;
-import org.springframework.beans.BeansException;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextException;
@@ -363,9 +362,10 @@ public abstract class FrameworkServlet extends HttpServletBean implements Applic
 	 * @see #configureAndRefreshWebApplicationContext(ConfigurableWebApplicationContext)
 	 * @see #applyInitializers(ConfigurableApplicationContext)
 	 */
-	public void setContextInitializers(ApplicationContextInitializer<ConfigurableApplicationContext>... contextInitializers) {
-		for (ApplicationContextInitializer<ConfigurableApplicationContext> initializer : contextInitializers) {
-			this.contextInitializers.add(initializer);
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	public void setContextInitializers(ApplicationContextInitializer<? extends ConfigurableApplicationContext>... contextInitializers) {
+		for (ApplicationContextInitializer<? extends ConfigurableApplicationContext> initializer : contextInitializers) {
+			this.contextInitializers.add((ApplicationContextInitializer<ConfigurableApplicationContext>) initializer);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -450,6 +450,23 @@ public abstract class FrameworkServlet extends HttpServletBean implements Applic
 		this.dispatchTraceRequest = dispatchTraceRequest;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Called by Spring via {@link ApplicationContextAware} to inject the current
+	 * application context. This method allows FrameworkServlets to be registered as
+	 * Spring beans inside an existing {@link WebApplicationContext} rather than
+	 * {@link #findWebApplicationContext() finding} a
+	 * {@link org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener bootstrapped} context.
+	 * <p>Primarily added to support use in embedded servlet containers.
+	 * @since 4.0
+	 */
+	@Override
+	public void setApplicationContext(ApplicationContext applicationContext) {
+		if (this.webApplicationContext == null && applicationContext instanceof WebApplicationContext) {
+			this.webApplicationContext = (WebApplicationContext) applicationContext;
+			this.webApplicationContextInjected = true;
+		}
+	}
+
 
 	/**
 	 * Overridden method of {@link HttpServletBean}, invoked after any bean properties
@@ -796,11 +813,9 @@ public abstract class FrameworkServlet extends HttpServletBean implements Applic
 	 */
 	@Override
 	public void destroy() {
-		if (this.webApplicationContextInjected) {
-			return;
-		}
 		getServletContext().log("Destroying Spring FrameworkServlet '" + getServletName() + "'");
-		if (this.webApplicationContext instanceof ConfigurableApplicationContext) {
+		// Only call close() on WebApplicationContext if locally managed...
+		if (this.webApplicationContext instanceof ConfigurableApplicationContext && !this.webApplicationContextInjected) {
 			((ConfigurableApplicationContext) this.webApplicationContext).close();
 		}
 	}
@@ -1065,29 +1080,6 @@ public abstract class FrameworkServlet extends HttpServletBean implements Applic
 		return (userPrincipal != null ? userPrincipal.getName() : null);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Called by Spring via {@link ApplicationContextAware} to inject the current
-	 * application context. This method allows FrameworkServlets to be registered as
-	 * Spring Beans inside an existing {@link WebApplicationContext} rather than
-	 * {@link #findWebApplicationContext() finding} a
-	 * {@link org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener bootstrapped} context.
-	 * <p>Primarily added to support use in embedded servlet containers, this method is not
-	 * intended to be called directly.
-	 * @since 4.0
-	 */
-	@Override
-	public void setApplicationContext(ApplicationContext applicationContext)
-			throws BeansException {
-		if (this.webApplicationContext == null
-				&& applicationContext instanceof WebApplicationContext) {
-			if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-				logger.debug("Using existing application context for "
-						+ ClassUtils.getShortName(getClass()));
-			}
-			this.webApplicationContext = (WebApplicationContext) applicationContext;
-			this.webApplicationContextInjected = true;
-		}
-	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Subclasses must implement this method to do the work of request handling,
diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/DispatcherServletTests.java b/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/DispatcherServletTests.java
index 93ee5a1662..f5b6515b41 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/DispatcherServletTests.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/DispatcherServletTests.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import junit.framework.TestCase;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.MutablePropertyValues;
 import org.springframework.beans.PropertyValue;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextInitializer;
 import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.core.env.ConfigurableEnvironment;
 import org.springframework.core.env.DummyEnvironment;
@@ -37,7 +38,9 @@ import org.springframework.mock.web.test.MockHttpServletResponse;
 import org.springframework.mock.web.test.MockServletConfig;
 import org.springframework.mock.web.test.MockServletContext;
 import org.springframework.tests.sample.beans.TestBean;
+import org.springframework.web.context.ConfigurableWebApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.web.context.ConfigurableWebEnvironment;
+import org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader;
 import org.springframework.web.context.ServletConfigAwareBean;
 import org.springframework.web.context.ServletContextAwareBean;
 import org.springframework.web.context.WebApplicationContext;
@@ -784,6 +787,46 @@ public class DispatcherServletTests extends TestCase {
 		assertThat(response.getHeader("Allow"), equalTo("GET, HEAD, POST, PUT, DELETE, TRACE, OPTIONS, PATCH"));
 	}
 
+	public void testContextInitializers() throws Exception {
+		DispatcherServlet servlet = new DispatcherServlet();
+		servlet.setContextClass(SimpleWebApplicationContext.class);
+		servlet.setContextInitializers(new TestWebContextInitializer(), new OtherWebContextInitializer());
+		servlet.init(servletConfig);
+		assertEquals("true", servletConfig.getServletContext().getAttribute("initialized"));
+		assertEquals("true", servletConfig.getServletContext().getAttribute("otherInitialized"));
+	}
+
+	public void testContextInitializerClasses() throws Exception {
+		DispatcherServlet servlet = new DispatcherServlet();
+		servlet.setContextClass(SimpleWebApplicationContext.class);
+		servlet.setContextInitializerClasses(
+				TestWebContextInitializer.class.getName() + "," + OtherWebContextInitializer.class.getName());
+		servlet.init(servletConfig);
+		assertEquals("true", servletConfig.getServletContext().getAttribute("initialized"));
+		assertEquals("true", servletConfig.getServletContext().getAttribute("otherInitialized"));
+	}
+
+	public void testGlobalInitializerClasses() throws Exception {
+		DispatcherServlet servlet = new DispatcherServlet();
+		servlet.setContextClass(SimpleWebApplicationContext.class);
+		servletConfig.getServletContext().setInitParameter(ContextLoader.GLOBAL_INITIALIZER_CLASSES_PARAM,
+				TestWebContextInitializer.class.getName() + "," + OtherWebContextInitializer.class.getName());
+		servlet.init(servletConfig);
+		assertEquals("true", servletConfig.getServletContext().getAttribute("initialized"));
+		assertEquals("true", servletConfig.getServletContext().getAttribute("otherInitialized"));
+	}
+
+	public void testMixedInitializerClasses() throws Exception {
+		DispatcherServlet servlet = new DispatcherServlet();
+		servlet.setContextClass(SimpleWebApplicationContext.class);
+		servletConfig.getServletContext().setInitParameter(ContextLoader.GLOBAL_INITIALIZER_CLASSES_PARAM,
+				TestWebContextInitializer.class.getName());
+		servlet.setContextInitializerClasses(OtherWebContextInitializer.class.getName());
+		servlet.init(servletConfig);
+		assertEquals("true", servletConfig.getServletContext().getAttribute("initialized"));
+		assertEquals("true", servletConfig.getServletContext().getAttribute("otherInitialized"));
+	}
+
 
 	public static class ControllerFromParent implements Controller {
 
@@ -793,4 +836,22 @@ public class DispatcherServletTests extends TestCase {
 		}
 	}
 
+
+	private static class TestWebContextInitializer implements ApplicationContextInitializer<ConfigurableWebApplicationContext> {
+
+		@Override
+		public void initialize(ConfigurableWebApplicationContext applicationContext) {
+			applicationContext.getServletContext().setAttribute("initialized", "true");
+		}
+	}
+
+
+	private static class OtherWebContextInitializer implements ApplicationContextInitializer<ConfigurableWebApplicationContext> {
+
+		@Override
+		public void initialize(ConfigurableWebApplicationContext applicationContext) {
+			applicationContext.getServletContext().setAttribute("otherInitialized", "true");
+		}
+	}
+
 }