diff --git a/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/type/filter/AnnotationTypeFilter.java b/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/type/filter/AnnotationTypeFilter.java
index 5f256ad435f..e0a1aba156e 100644
--- a/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/type/filter/AnnotationTypeFilter.java
+++ b/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/type/filter/AnnotationTypeFilter.java
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ public class AnnotationTypeFilter extends AbstractTypeHierarchyTraversingFilter
 	 * Create a new AnnotationTypeFilter for the given annotation type.
 	 * This filter will also match meta-annotations. To disable the
 	 * meta-annotation matching, use the constructor that accepts a
-	 * '<code>considerMetaAnnotations</code>' argument.
+	 * '<code>considerMetaAnnotations</code>' argument. The filter will
+	 * not match interfaces.
 	 * @param annotationType the annotation type to match
 	 */
 	public AnnotationTypeFilter(Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType) {
@@ -53,11 +54,22 @@ public class AnnotationTypeFilter extends AbstractTypeHierarchyTraversingFilter
 
 	/**
 	 * Create a new AnnotationTypeFilter for the given annotation type.
+	 * The filter will not match interfaces.
 	 * @param annotationType the annotation type to match
 	 * @param considerMetaAnnotations whether to also match on meta-annotations
 	 */
 	public AnnotationTypeFilter(Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType, boolean considerMetaAnnotations) {
-		super(annotationType.isAnnotationPresent(Inherited.class), false);
+		this(annotationType, considerMetaAnnotations, false);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Create a new {@link AnnotationTypeFilter} for the given annotation type.
+	 * @param annotationType the annotation type to match
+	 * @param considerMetaAnnotations whether to also match on meta-annotations
+	 * @param considerInterfaces whether to also match interfaces
+	 */
+	public AnnotationTypeFilter(Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType, boolean considerMetaAnnotations, boolean considerInterfaces) {
+		super(annotationType.isAnnotationPresent(Inherited.class), considerInterfaces);
 		this.annotationType = annotationType;
 		this.considerMetaAnnotations = considerMetaAnnotations;
 	}
diff --git a/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/type/AnnotationTypeFilterTests.java b/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/type/AnnotationTypeFilterTests.java
index 3d086d2bc33..68841aca1db 100644
--- a/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/type/AnnotationTypeFilterTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/type/AnnotationTypeFilterTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2007 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2011 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -18,10 +18,8 @@ package org.springframework.core.type;
 
 import java.lang.annotation.Inherited;
 
-import junit.framework.TestCase;
-
-import org.springframework.core.type.classreading.MetadataReaderFactory;
 import org.springframework.core.type.classreading.MetadataReader;
+import org.springframework.core.type.classreading.MetadataReaderFactory;
 import org.springframework.core.type.classreading.SimpleMetadataReaderFactory;
 import org.springframework.core.type.filter.AnnotationTypeFilter;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
@@ -31,7 +29,7 @@ import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
  * @author Juergen Hoeller
  */
 public class AnnotationTypeFilterTests extends TestCase {
-	
+
 	public void testDirectAnnotationMatch() throws Exception {
 		MetadataReaderFactory metadataReaderFactory = new SimpleMetadataReaderFactory();
 		String classUnderTest = "org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationTypeFilterTests$SomeComponent";
@@ -52,7 +50,7 @@ public class AnnotationTypeFilterTests extends TestCase {
 		assertFalse(filter.match(metadataReader, metadataReaderFactory));
 		ClassloadingAssertions.assertClassNotLoaded(classUnderTest);
 	}
-	
+
 	public void testInheritedAnnotationFromBaseClassDoesMatch() throws Exception {
 		MetadataReaderFactory metadataReaderFactory = new SimpleMetadataReaderFactory();
 		String classUnderTest = "org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationTypeFilterTests$SomeSubClassOfSomeComponent";
@@ -73,7 +71,7 @@ public class AnnotationTypeFilterTests extends TestCase {
 		assertFalse(filter.match(metadataReader, metadataReaderFactory));
 		ClassloadingAssertions.assertClassNotLoaded(classUnderTest);
 	}
-	
+
 	public void testNonAnnotatedClassDoesntMatch() throws Exception {
 		MetadataReaderFactory metadataReaderFactory = new SimpleMetadataReaderFactory();
 		String classUnderTest = "org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationTypeFilterTests$SomeNonCandidateClass";
@@ -84,6 +82,17 @@ public class AnnotationTypeFilterTests extends TestCase {
 		ClassloadingAssertions.assertClassNotLoaded(classUnderTest);
 	}
 
+	public void testMatchesInterfacesIfConfigured() throws Exception {
+
+		MetadataReaderFactory metadataReaderFactory = new SimpleMetadataReaderFactory();
+		String classUnderTest = "org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationTypeFilterTests$SomeComponentInterface";
+		MetadataReader metadataReader = metadataReaderFactory.getMetadataReader(classUnderTest);
+
+		AnnotationTypeFilter filter = new AnnotationTypeFilter(InheritedAnnotation.class, false, true);
+
+		assertTrue(filter.match(metadataReader, metadataReaderFactory));
+		ClassloadingAssertions.assertClassNotLoaded(classUnderTest);
+	}
 
 	// We must use a standalone set of types to ensure that no one else is loading them
 	// and interfering with ClassloadingAssertions.assertClassNotLoaded()