diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContext.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContext.java
index 9e3626e1d4..aff0017ef9 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContext.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContext.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2013 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2015 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.
@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@
 package org.springframework.context.support;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.BeansException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanDefinitionStoreException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.NoSuchBeanDefinitionException;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.AutowireCapableBeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.ConfigurableListableBeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionRegistry;
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ public class GenericApplicationContext extends AbstractApplicationContext implem
 
 	private ResourceLoader resourceLoader;
 
-	private boolean refreshed = false;
+	private final AtomicBoolean refreshed = new AtomicBoolean();
 
 
 	/**
@@ -235,12 +237,11 @@ public class GenericApplicationContext extends AbstractApplicationContext implem
 	 */
 	@Override
 	protected final void refreshBeanFactory() throws IllegalStateException {
-		if (this.refreshed) {
+		if (!this.refreshed.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
 			throw new IllegalStateException(
 					"GenericApplicationContext does not support multiple refresh attempts: just call 'refresh' once");
 		}
 		this.beanFactory.setSerializationId(getId());
-		this.refreshed = true;
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -279,6 +280,12 @@ public class GenericApplicationContext extends AbstractApplicationContext implem
 		return this.beanFactory;
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public AutowireCapableBeanFactory getAutowireCapableBeanFactory() throws IllegalStateException {
+		assertBeanFactoryActive();
+		return this.beanFactory;
+	}
+
 
 	//---------------------------------------------------------------------
 	// Implementation of BeanDefinitionRegistry
diff --git a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContextTests.java b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContextTests.java
index abfd80b9bb..e215830d46 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContextTests.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/support/GenericApplicationContextTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2014 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2015 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.
@@ -55,4 +55,34 @@ public class GenericApplicationContextTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void accessAfterClosing() {
+		GenericApplicationContext ac = new GenericApplicationContext();
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("testBean", new RootBeanDefinition(String.class));
+		ac.refresh();
+
+		assertSame(ac.getBean("testBean"), ac.getBean(String.class));
+		assertSame(ac.getAutowireCapableBeanFactory().getBean("testBean"),
+				ac.getAutowireCapableBeanFactory().getBean(String.class));
+
+		ac.close();
+
+		try {
+			assertSame(ac.getBean("testBean"), ac.getBean(String.class));
+			fail("Should have thrown IllegalStateException");
+		}
+		catch (IllegalStateException ex) {
+			// expected
+		}
+
+		try {
+			assertSame(ac.getAutowireCapableBeanFactory().getBean("testBean"),
+					ac.getAutowireCapableBeanFactory().getBean(String.class));
+			fail("Should have thrown IllegalStateException");
+		}
+		catch (IllegalStateException ex) {
+			// expected
+		}
+	}
+
 }