diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/MessageHeaders.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/MessageHeaders.java
index 45747f37241..a227e8d6e8e 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/MessageHeaders.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/MessageHeaders.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.
@@ -70,16 +70,8 @@ import org.springframework.util.IdGenerator;
  */
 public class MessageHeaders implements Map<String, Object>, Serializable {
 
-	private static final long serialVersionUID = 7035068984263400920L;
-
-	private static final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(MessageHeaders.class);
-
 	public static final UUID ID_VALUE_NONE = new UUID(0,0);
 
-	private static volatile IdGenerator idGenerator = null;
-
-	private static final IdGenerator defaultIdGenerator = new AlternativeJdkIdGenerator();
-
 	/**
 	 * The key for the Message ID. This is an automatically generated UUID and
 	 * should never be explicitly set in the header map <b>except</b> in the
@@ -90,11 +82,20 @@ public class MessageHeaders implements Map<String, Object>, Serializable {
 
 	public static final String TIMESTAMP = "timestamp";
 
+	public static final String CONTENT_TYPE = "contentType";
+
 	public static final String REPLY_CHANNEL = "replyChannel";
 
 	public static final String ERROR_CHANNEL = "errorChannel";
 
-	public static final String CONTENT_TYPE = "contentType";
+
+	private static final long serialVersionUID = 7035068984263400920L;
+
+	private static final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(MessageHeaders.class);
+
+	private static final IdGenerator defaultIdGenerator = new AlternativeJdkIdGenerator();
+
+	private static volatile IdGenerator idGenerator = null;
 
 
 	private final Map<String, Object> headers;
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/support/MessageHeaderAccessor.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/support/MessageHeaderAccessor.java
index 4416d14985c..1036de0c4ba 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/support/MessageHeaderAccessor.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/support/MessageHeaderAccessor.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.
@@ -418,11 +418,31 @@ public class MessageHeaderAccessor {
 	// Specific header accessors
 
 	public UUID getId() {
-		return (UUID) getHeader(MessageHeaders.ID);
+		Object value = getHeader(MessageHeaders.ID);
+		if (value == null) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		return (value instanceof UUID ? (UUID) value : UUID.fromString(value.toString()));
 	}
 
 	public Long getTimestamp() {
-		return (Long) getHeader(MessageHeaders.TIMESTAMP);
+		Object value = getHeader(MessageHeaders.TIMESTAMP);
+		if (value == null) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		return (value instanceof Long ? (Long) value : Long.parseLong(value.toString()));
+	}
+
+	public void setContentType(MimeType contentType) {
+		setHeader(MessageHeaders.CONTENT_TYPE, contentType);
+	}
+
+	public MimeType getContentType() {
+		Object value = getHeader(MessageHeaders.CONTENT_TYPE);
+		if (value == null) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		return (value instanceof MimeType ? (MimeType) value : MimeType.valueOf(value.toString()));
 	}
 
 	public void setReplyChannelName(String replyChannelName) {
@@ -449,14 +469,6 @@ public class MessageHeaderAccessor {
         return getHeader(MessageHeaders.ERROR_CHANNEL);
     }
 
-	public void setContentType(MimeType contentType) {
-		setHeader(MessageHeaders.CONTENT_TYPE, contentType);
-	}
-
-	public MimeType getContentType() {
-		return (MimeType) getHeader(MessageHeaders.CONTENT_TYPE);
-	}
-
 
 	// Log message stuff
 
@@ -508,7 +520,7 @@ public class MessageHeaderAccessor {
 
 	protected String getDetailedPayloadLogMessage(Object payload) {
 		if (payload instanceof String) {
-			return " payload=" + ((String) payload);
+			return " payload=" + payload;
 		}
 		else if (payload instanceof byte[]) {
 			byte[] bytes = (byte[]) payload;