diff --git a/org.springframework.expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ExpressionState.java b/org.springframework.expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ExpressionState.java
index bca705053ed..fa8b932d86e 100644
--- a/org.springframework.expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ExpressionState.java
+++ b/org.springframework.expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ExpressionState.java
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ public class ExpressionState {
 		return (configuration & SpelExpressionParserConfiguration.GrowListsOnIndexBeyondSize)!=0;
 	}
 
-	public boolean configuredToCreateCollectionOrMap() {
+	public boolean configuredToDynamicallyCreateNullObjects() {
 		return (configuration & SpelExpressionParserConfiguration.CreateObjectIfAttemptToReferenceNull)!=0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/org.springframework.expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/PropertyOrFieldReference.java b/org.springframework.expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/PropertyOrFieldReference.java
index d095d4081ce..fb22e4ddb7a 100644
--- a/org.springframework.expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/PropertyOrFieldReference.java
+++ b/org.springframework.expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/PropertyOrFieldReference.java
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public class PropertyOrFieldReference extends SpelNodeImpl {
 		TypedValue result = readProperty(state, this.name);
 		TypeDescriptor resultDescriptor = result.getTypeDescriptor();
 		// Dynamically create the objects if the user has requested that optional behaviour
-		if (result.getValue()==null && state.configuredToCreateCollectionOrMap() && nextChildIs(Indexer.class,PropertyOrFieldReference.class)) {
+		if (result.getValue()==null && state.configuredToDynamicallyCreateNullObjects() && nextChildIs(Indexer.class,PropertyOrFieldReference.class)) {
 			// Creating lists and maps
 			if ((resultDescriptor.getType().equals(List.class) || resultDescriptor.getType().equals(Map.class))) {
 				// Create a new collection or map ready for the indexer
diff --git a/org.springframework.expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/EvaluationTests.java b/org.springframework.expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/EvaluationTests.java
index 15c099b66ed..15c46d39650 100644
--- a/org.springframework.expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/EvaluationTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/EvaluationTests.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.expression.spel;
 
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 import junit.framework.Assert;
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ public class EvaluationTests extends ExpressionTestCase {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testCreateListsOnAttemptToIndexNull01() throws EvaluationException, ParseException {
-		ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser(SpelExpressionParserConfiguration.CreateListsOnAttemptToIndexIntoNull | SpelExpressionParserConfiguration.GrowListsOnIndexBeyondSize);
+		ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser(SpelExpressionParserConfiguration.CreateObjectIfAttemptToReferenceNull | SpelExpressionParserConfiguration.GrowListsOnIndexBeyondSize);
 		Expression expression = parser.parseExpression("list[0]");
 		TestClass testClass = new TestClass();
 		Object o = null;
@@ -60,15 +61,68 @@ public class EvaluationTests extends ExpressionTestCase {
 		Assert.assertEquals(4, testClass.getFoo().size());
 	}
 	
+	@Test
+	public void testCreateMapsOnAttemptToIndexNull01() throws EvaluationException, ParseException {
+		TestClass testClass = new TestClass();
+		StandardEvaluationContext ctx = new StandardEvaluationContext(testClass);
+		ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser(SpelExpressionParserConfiguration.CreateObjectIfAttemptToReferenceNull | SpelExpressionParserConfiguration.GrowListsOnIndexBeyondSize);
+		Object o = null;
+		o = parser.parseExpression("map['a']").getValue(ctx);
+		Assert.assertNull(o);
+		o = parser.parseExpression("map").getValue(ctx);
+		Assert.assertNotNull(o);
+		
+		try {
+			o = parser.parseExpression("map2['a']").getValue(ctx);
+			// fail!
+			Assert.fail("map2 should be null, there is no setter");
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			// success!
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testCreateObjectsOnAttemptToReferenceNull() throws EvaluationException, ParseException {
+		TestClass testClass = new TestClass();
+		StandardEvaluationContext ctx = new StandardEvaluationContext(testClass);
+		ExpressionParser parser = new SpelExpressionParser(SpelExpressionParserConfiguration.CreateObjectIfAttemptToReferenceNull | SpelExpressionParserConfiguration.GrowListsOnIndexBeyondSize);
+		Object o = null;
+		o = parser.parseExpression("wibble.bar").getValue(ctx);
+		Assert.assertEquals("hello",o);
+		o = parser.parseExpression("wibble").getValue(ctx);
+		Assert.assertNotNull(o);
+		
+		try {
+			o = parser.parseExpression("wibble2.bar").getValue(ctx);
+			// fail!
+			Assert.fail("wibble2 should be null (cannot be initialized dynamically), there is no setter");
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			// success!
+		}
+	}
+	
 	static class TestClass {
+		
+		public Foo wibble;
+		private Foo wibble2;
+		public Map map;
+		public Map<String,Integer> mapStringToInteger;
 		public List<String> list;
 		public List list2;
+		private Map map2;
 		
+		public Map getMap2() { return this.map2; }
+		public Foo getWibble2() { return this.wibble2; }
+//		public void setMap2(Map m) { this.map2 = m; }
 		private List<String> foo;
 		public List<String> getFoo() { return this.foo; }
 		public void setFoo(List<String> newfoo) { this.foo = newfoo; }
 	}
-	
+
+	public static class Foo {
+		public Foo() {}
+		public String bar = "hello";
+	}
 	
 	@Test
 	public void testElvis01() {