diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationPostProcessor.java b/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationPostProcessor.java
index be9d84edfa3..3edc4581a49 100644
--- a/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationPostProcessor.java
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationPostProcessor.java
@@ -29,33 +29,77 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanPostProcessor;
 
 /**
+ * Simple {@link BeanPostProcessor} that checks JSR-303 constraint annotations
+ * in Spring-managed beans, throwing an initialization exception in case of
+ * constraint violations right before calling the bean's init method (if any).
+ *
  * @author Juergen Hoeller
  * @since 3.0
  */
 public class BeanValidationPostProcessor implements BeanPostProcessor, InitializingBean {
 
-	private javax.validation.Validator validator;
+	private Validator validator;
+
+	private boolean afterInitialization = false;
 
 
+	/**
+	 * Set the JSR-303 Validator to delegate to for validating beans.
+	 * <p>Default is the default ValidatorFactory's default Validator.
+	 */
 	public void setValidator(Validator validator) {
 		this.validator = validator;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Set the JSR-303 ValidatorFactory to delegate to for validating beans,
+	 * using its default Validator.
+	 * <p>Default is the default ValidatorFactory's default Validator.
+	 * @see javax.validation.ValidatorFactory#getValidator()
+	 */
 	public void setValidatorFactory(ValidatorFactory validatorFactory) {
 		this.validator = validatorFactory.getValidator();
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Choose whether to perform validation after bean initialization
+	 * (i.e. after init methods) instead of before (which is the default).
+	 * <p>Default is "false" (before initialization). Switch this to "true"
+	 * (after initialization) if you would like to give init methods a chance
+	 * to populate constrained fields before they get validated.
+	 */
+	public void setAfterInitialization(boolean afterInitialization) {
+		this.afterInitialization = afterInitialization;
+	}
+
 	public void afterPropertiesSet() {
 		if (this.validator == null) {
-			Validation.buildDefaultValidatorFactory().getValidator();
+			this.validator = Validation.buildDefaultValidatorFactory().getValidator();
 		}
 	}
 
+
 	public Object postProcessBeforeInitialization(Object bean, String beanName) throws BeansException {
+		if (!this.afterInitialization) {
+			doValidate(bean);
+		}
 		return bean;
 	}
 
 	public Object postProcessAfterInitialization(Object bean, String beanName) throws BeansException {
+		if (this.afterInitialization) {
+			doValidate(bean);
+		}
+		return bean;
+	}
+
+
+	/**
+	 * Perform validation of the given bean.
+	 * @param bean the bean instance to validate
+	 * @see javax.validation.Validator#validate
+	 */
+	protected void doValidate(Object bean) {
 		Set<ConstraintViolation<Object>> result = this.validator.validate(bean);
 		if (!result.isEmpty()) {
 			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder("Bean state is invalid: ");
@@ -68,7 +112,6 @@ public class BeanValidationPostProcessor implements BeanPostProcessor, Initializ
 			}
 			throw new BeanInitializationException(sb.toString());
 		}
-		return bean;
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationPostProcessorTests.java b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationPostProcessorTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..42ca119e736
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationPostProcessorTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2009 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.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.validation.beanvalidation;
+
+import javax.annotation.PostConstruct;
+import javax.validation.constraints.NotNull;
+import javax.validation.constraints.Size;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import org.springframework.beans.TestBean;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.RootBeanDefinition;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.CommonAnnotationBeanPostProcessor;
+import org.springframework.context.support.GenericApplicationContext;
+
+/**
+ * @author Juergen Hoeller
+ * @since 3.0
+ */
+public class BeanValidationPostProcessorTests {
+
+	@Test
+	public void testNotNullConstraint() {
+		GenericApplicationContext ac = new GenericApplicationContext();
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("bvpp", new RootBeanDefinition(BeanValidationPostProcessor.class));
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("capp", new RootBeanDefinition(CommonAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.class));
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("bean", new RootBeanDefinition(NotNullConstrainedBean.class));
+		try {
+			ac.refresh();
+			fail("Should have thrown BeanCreationException");
+		}
+		catch (BeanCreationException ex) {
+			assertTrue(ex.getRootCause().getMessage().contains("testBean"));
+			assertTrue(ex.getRootCause().getMessage().contains("invalid"));
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testNotNullConstraintSatisfied() {
+		GenericApplicationContext ac = new GenericApplicationContext();
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("bvpp", new RootBeanDefinition(BeanValidationPostProcessor.class));
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("capp", new RootBeanDefinition(CommonAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.class));
+		RootBeanDefinition bd = new RootBeanDefinition(NotNullConstrainedBean.class);
+		bd.getPropertyValues().add("testBean", new TestBean());
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("bean", bd);
+		ac.refresh();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testNotNullConstraintAfterInitialization() {
+		GenericApplicationContext ac = new GenericApplicationContext();
+		RootBeanDefinition bvpp = new RootBeanDefinition(BeanValidationPostProcessor.class);
+		bvpp.getPropertyValues().add("afterInitialization", true);
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("bvpp", bvpp);
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("capp", new RootBeanDefinition(CommonAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.class));
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("bean", new RootBeanDefinition(AfterInitConstraintBean.class));
+		ac.refresh();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testSizeConstraint() {
+		GenericApplicationContext ac = new GenericApplicationContext();
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("bvpp", new RootBeanDefinition(BeanValidationPostProcessor.class));
+		RootBeanDefinition bd = new RootBeanDefinition(NotNullConstrainedBean.class);
+		bd.getPropertyValues().add("testBean", new TestBean());
+		bd.getPropertyValues().add("stringValue", "s");
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("bean", bd);
+		try {
+			ac.refresh();
+			fail("Should have thrown BeanCreationException");
+		}
+		catch (BeanCreationException ex) {
+			assertTrue(ex.getRootCause().getMessage().contains("stringValue"));
+			assertTrue(ex.getRootCause().getMessage().contains("invalid"));
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testSizeConstraintSatisfied() {
+		GenericApplicationContext ac = new GenericApplicationContext();
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("bvpp", new RootBeanDefinition(BeanValidationPostProcessor.class));
+		RootBeanDefinition bd = new RootBeanDefinition(NotNullConstrainedBean.class);
+		bd.getPropertyValues().add("testBean", new TestBean());
+		bd.getPropertyValues().add("stringValue", "ss");
+		ac.registerBeanDefinition("bean", bd);
+		ac.refresh();
+	}
+
+
+	public static class NotNullConstrainedBean {
+
+		@NotNull
+		private TestBean testBean;
+
+		@Size(min = 2)
+		private String stringValue;
+
+		public TestBean getTestBean() {
+			return testBean;
+		}
+
+		public void setTestBean(TestBean testBean) {
+			this.testBean = testBean;
+		}
+
+		public String getStringValue() {
+			return stringValue;
+		}
+
+		public void setStringValue(String stringValue) {
+			this.stringValue = stringValue;
+		}
+
+		@PostConstruct
+		public void init() {
+			assertNotNull("Shouldn't be here after constraint checking", this.testBean);
+		}
+	}
+
+
+	public static class AfterInitConstraintBean {
+
+		@NotNull
+		private TestBean testBean;
+
+		public TestBean getTestBean() {
+			return testBean;
+		}
+
+		public void setTestBean(TestBean testBean) {
+			this.testBean = testBean;
+		}
+
+		@PostConstruct
+		public void init() {
+			this.testBean = new TestBean();
+		}
+	}
+
+}