diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/ApplicationEventPublisher.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/ApplicationEventPublisher.java
index 025257fb5d0..d21653b2223 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/ApplicationEventPublisher.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/ApplicationEventPublisher.java
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.context;
 
 /**
  * Interface that encapsulates event publication functionality.
- * Serves as super-interface for ApplicationContext.
+ * Serves as super-interface for {@link ApplicationContext}.
  *
  * @author Juergen Hoeller
  * @author Stephane Nicoll
@@ -42,9 +42,10 @@ public interface ApplicationEventPublisher {
 	/**
 	 * Notify all <strong>matching</strong> listeners registered with this
 	 * application of an event.
-	 * <p>If the specified {@code event} is not an {@link ApplicationEvent}, it
-	 * is wrapped in a {@code GenericApplicationEvent}.
+	 * <p>If the specified {@code event} is not an {@link ApplicationEvent},
+	 * it is wrapped in a {@link PayloadApplicationEvent}.
 	 * @param event the event to publish
+	 * @since 4.2
 	 * @see PayloadApplicationEvent
 	 */
 	void publishEvent(Object event);
diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/support/AbstractApplicationContext.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/support/AbstractApplicationContext.java
index 351563444e2..ed5f4c0b5bf 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/support/AbstractApplicationContext.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/support/AbstractApplicationContext.java
@@ -165,6 +165,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractApplicationContext extends DefaultResourceLoader
 	/** Parent context */
 	private ApplicationContext parent;
 
+	/** Environment used by this context */
+	private ConfigurableEnvironment environment;
+
 	/** BeanFactoryPostProcessors to apply on refresh */
 	private final List<BeanFactoryPostProcessor> beanFactoryPostProcessors =
 			new ArrayList<BeanFactoryPostProcessor>();
@@ -197,10 +200,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractApplicationContext extends DefaultResourceLoader
 	private ApplicationEventMulticaster applicationEventMulticaster;
 
 	/** Statically specified listeners */
-	private Set<ApplicationListener<?>> applicationListeners = new LinkedHashSet<ApplicationListener<?>>();
+	private final Set<ApplicationListener<?>> applicationListeners = new LinkedHashSet<ApplicationListener<?>>();
 
-	/** Environment used by this context; initialized by {@link #createEnvironment()} */
-	private ConfigurableEnvironment environment;
+	/** ApplicationEvents published early */
+	private Set<ApplicationEvent> earlyApplicationEvents;
 
 
 	/**
@@ -340,7 +343,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractApplicationContext extends DefaultResourceLoader
 		if (logger.isTraceEnabled()) {
 			logger.trace("Publishing event in " + getDisplayName() + ": " + event);
 		}
-		final ApplicationEvent applicationEvent;
+
+		// Decorate event as an ApplicationEvent if necessary
+		ApplicationEvent applicationEvent;
 		if (event instanceof ApplicationEvent) {
 			applicationEvent = (ApplicationEvent) event;
 		}
@@ -350,7 +355,16 @@ public abstract class AbstractApplicationContext extends DefaultResourceLoader
 				eventType = ResolvableType.forClassWithGenerics(PayloadApplicationEvent.class, event.getClass());
 			}
 		}
-		getApplicationEventMulticaster().multicastEvent(applicationEvent, eventType);
+
+		// Multicast right now if possible - or lazily once the multicaster is initialized
+		if (this.earlyApplicationEvents != null) {
+			this.earlyApplicationEvents.add(applicationEvent);
+		}
+		else {
+			getApplicationEventMulticaster().multicastEvent(applicationEvent, eventType);
+		}
+
+		// Publish event via parent context as well...
 		if (this.parent != null) {
 			if (this.parent instanceof AbstractApplicationContext) {
 				((AbstractApplicationContext) this.parent).publishEvent(event, eventType);
@@ -379,7 +393,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractApplicationContext extends DefaultResourceLoader
 	 * @return the internal LifecycleProcessor (never {@code null})
 	 * @throws IllegalStateException if the context has not been initialized yet
 	 */
-	LifecycleProcessor getLifecycleProcessor() {
+	LifecycleProcessor getLifecycleProcessor() throws IllegalStateException {
 		if (this.lifecycleProcessor == null) {
 			throw new IllegalStateException("LifecycleProcessor not initialized - " +
 					"call 'refresh' before invoking lifecycle methods via the context: " + this);
@@ -543,6 +557,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractApplicationContext extends DefaultResourceLoader
 		// Validate that all properties marked as required are resolvable
 		// see ConfigurablePropertyResolver#setRequiredProperties
 		getEnvironment().validateRequiredProperties();
+
+		// Allow for the collection of early ApplicationEvents,
+		// to be published once the multicaster is available...
+		this.earlyApplicationEvents = new LinkedHashSet<ApplicationEvent>();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -748,11 +766,21 @@ public abstract class AbstractApplicationContext extends DefaultResourceLoader
 		for (ApplicationListener<?> listener : getApplicationListeners()) {
 			getApplicationEventMulticaster().addApplicationListener(listener);
 		}
+
 		// Do not initialize FactoryBeans here: We need to leave all regular beans
 		// uninitialized to let post-processors apply to them!
 		String[] listenerBeanNames = getBeanNamesForType(ApplicationListener.class, true, false);
-		for (String lisName : listenerBeanNames) {
-			getApplicationEventMulticaster().addApplicationListenerBean(lisName);
+		for (String listenerBeanName : listenerBeanNames) {
+			getApplicationEventMulticaster().addApplicationListenerBean(listenerBeanName);
+		}
+
+		// Publish early application events now that we finally have a multicaster...
+		Set<ApplicationEvent> earlyEventsToProcess = this.earlyApplicationEvents;
+		this.earlyApplicationEvents = null;
+		if (earlyEventsToProcess != null) {
+			for (ApplicationEvent earlyEvent : earlyEventsToProcess) {
+				getApplicationEventMulticaster().multicastEvent(earlyEvent);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/event/ApplicationContextEventTests.java b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/event/ApplicationContextEventTests.java
index 13174ea6b9b..e7651dc36f6 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/event/ApplicationContextEventTests.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/event/ApplicationContextEventTests.java
@@ -24,15 +24,20 @@ import org.aopalliance.intercept.MethodInvocation;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.aop.framework.ProxyFactory;
+import org.springframework.beans.BeansException;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanPostProcessor;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.RuntimeBeanReference;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.RootBeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEvent;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationListener;
 import org.springframework.context.BeanThatBroadcasts;
 import org.springframework.context.BeanThatListens;
 import org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.support.GenericApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.support.StaticApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.support.StaticMessageSource;
 import org.springframework.core.Ordered;
 import org.springframework.core.ResolvableType;
 import org.springframework.core.annotation.Order;
@@ -48,6 +53,7 @@ import static org.mockito.BDDMockito.*;
  * @author Alef Arendsen
  * @author Rick Evans
  * @author Stephane Nicoll
+ * @author Juergen Hoeller
  */
 public class ApplicationContextEventTests extends AbstractApplicationEventListenerTests {
 
@@ -337,6 +343,21 @@ public class ApplicationContextEventTests extends AbstractApplicationEventListen
 		context.close();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void beanPostProcessorPublishesEvents() {
+		GenericApplicationContext context = new GenericApplicationContext();
+		context.registerBeanDefinition("listener", new RootBeanDefinition(BeanThatListens.class));
+		context.registerBeanDefinition("messageSource", new RootBeanDefinition(StaticMessageSource.class));
+		context.registerBeanDefinition("postProcessor", new RootBeanDefinition(EventPublishingBeanPostProcessor.class));
+		context.refresh();
+
+		context.publishEvent(new MyEvent(this));
+		BeanThatListens listener = context.getBean(BeanThatListens.class);
+		assertEquals(4, listener.getEventCount());
+
+		context.close();
+	}
+
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("serial")
 	public static class MyEvent extends ApplicationEvent {
@@ -410,6 +431,7 @@ public class ApplicationContextEventTests extends AbstractApplicationEventListen
 		}
 	}
 
+
 	@Order(5)
 	public static class MyOrderedListener3 implements ApplicationListener<ApplicationEvent> {
 
@@ -422,6 +444,7 @@ public class ApplicationContextEventTests extends AbstractApplicationEventListen
 
 	}
 
+
 	@Order(50)
 	public static class MyOrderedListener4 implements ApplicationListener<MyEvent> {
 
@@ -437,4 +460,25 @@ public class ApplicationContextEventTests extends AbstractApplicationEventListen
 		}
 	}
 
+
+	public static class EventPublishingBeanPostProcessor implements BeanPostProcessor, ApplicationContextAware {
+
+		private ApplicationContext applicationContext;
+
+		public void setApplicationContext(ApplicationContext applicationContext) {
+			this.applicationContext = applicationContext;
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public Object postProcessBeforeInitialization(Object bean, String beanName) throws BeansException {
+			this.applicationContext.publishEvent(new MyEvent(this));
+			return bean;
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public Object postProcessAfterInitialization(Object bean, String beanName) throws BeansException {
+			return bean;
+		}
+	}
+
 }