diff --git a/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java b/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
index 78538586930..52cf15866a8 100644
--- a/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
+++ b/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
@@ -90,7 +90,10 @@ import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;
  * by the "context:annotation-config" and "context:component-scan" XML tags.
  * Remove or turn off the default annotation configuration there if you intend
  * to specify a custom AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor bean definition.
- *
+ * <p><b>NOTE:</b> Annotation injection will be performed <i>before</i> XML injection; thus
+ * the latter configuration will override the former for properties wired through
+ * both approaches. 
+ * 
  * @author Juergen Hoeller
  * @author Mark Fisher
  * @since 2.5
diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/CommonAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java b/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/CommonAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
index 1e4495d1aff..d981c811a5c 100644
--- a/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/CommonAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/CommonAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
  * by the "context:annotation-config" and "context:component-scan" XML tags.
  * Remove or turn off the default annotation configuration there if you intend
  * to specify a custom CommonAnnotationBeanPostProcessor bean definition!
+ * <p><b>NOTE:</b> Annotation injection will be performed <i>before</i> XML injection; thus
+ * the latter configuration will override the former for properties wired through
+ * both approaches. 
  *
  * @author Juergen Hoeller
  * @since 2.5
diff --git a/spring-framework-reference/src/beans.xml b/spring-framework-reference/src/beans.xml
index da2e2b19be8..e9befff368d 100644
--- a/spring-framework-reference/src/beans.xml
+++ b/spring-framework-reference/src/beans.xml
@@ -4438,7 +4438,14 @@ dataSource.url=jdbc:mysql:mydb</programlisting>
     <literal>@Qualifier, @Named, and @Provider</literal> if the JSR330 jar is
     present on the classpath. Use of these annotations also requires that
     certain <interfacename>BeanPostProcessors</interfacename> be registered
-    within the Spring container. As always, you can register them as
+    within the Spring container. 
+    
+    <note>Annotation injection is performed <emphasis>before</emphasis> XML injection, thus 
+    the latter configuration will override the former for properties wired
+    through both approaches. 
+    </note>
+    
+    As always, you can register them as
     individual bean definitions, but they can also be implicitly registered by
     including the following tag in an XML-based Spring configuration (notice
     the inclusion of the <literal>context</literal> namespace):</para>