diff --git a/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/TypeConverterDelegate.java b/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/TypeConverterDelegate.java
index 055eee2330a..ced69a4a0e8 100644
--- a/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/TypeConverterDelegate.java
+++ b/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/TypeConverterDelegate.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Arrays;
 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/ui/format/support/GenericFormatterRegistry.java b/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/ui/format/support/GenericFormatterRegistry.java
index 2f48584facf..ffeb83f63f7 100644
--- a/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/ui/format/support/GenericFormatterRegistry.java
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/ui/format/support/GenericFormatterRegistry.java
@@ -187,18 +187,19 @@ public class GenericFormatterRegistry implements FormatterRegistry, ApplicationC
 		if (formattedObjectType != null && !type.isAssignableFrom(formattedObjectType)) {
 			if (this.conversionService == null) {
 				throw new IllegalStateException("Unable to index Formatter " + formatter + " under type ["
-						+ type.getName() + "]; unable to convert from [" + formattedObjectType.getName()
-						+ "] parsed by Formatter because this.conversionService is null");
+						+ type.getName() + "]; not able to convert from a [" + formattedObjectType.getName()
+						+ "] parsed by the Formatter to [" + type.getName()
+						+ "] because this.conversionService is null");
 			}
 			if (!this.conversionService.canConvert(formattedObjectType, type)) {
 				throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unable to index Formatter " + formatter + " under type ["
-						+ type.getName() + "]; not able to convert from [" + formattedObjectType.getName()
-						+ "] to parse");
+						+ type.getName() + "]; not able to convert from a [" + formattedObjectType.getName()
+						+ "] parsed by the Formatter to [" + type.getName() + "]");
 			}
 			if (!this.conversionService.canConvert(type, formattedObjectType)) {
 				throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unable to index Formatter " + formatter + " under type ["
 						+ type.getName() + "]; not able to convert to [" + formattedObjectType.getName()
-						+ "] to format");
+						+ "] to format a [" + type.getName() + "]");
 			}
 		}
 		this.typeFormatters.put(type, new FormatterHolder(formattedObjectType, formatter));
diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/DataBinder.java b/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/DataBinder.java
index 5626d8f22f4..f11deec4c1d 100644
--- a/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/DataBinder.java
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/DataBinder.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import org.springframework.beans.SimpleTypeConverter;
 import org.springframework.beans.TypeConverter;
 import org.springframework.beans.TypeMismatchException;
 import org.springframework.core.MethodParameter;
+import org.springframework.core.convert.support.DefaultConversionService;
 import org.springframework.ui.format.FormatterRegistry;
 import org.springframework.ui.format.support.FormattingConversionServiceAdapter;
 import org.springframework.ui.format.support.GenericFormatterRegistry;
@@ -478,7 +479,9 @@ public class DataBinder implements PropertyEditorRegistry, TypeConverter {
 	 */
 	public FormatterRegistry getFormatterRegistry() {
 		if (this.formatterRegistry == null) {
-			this.formatterRegistry = new GenericFormatterRegistry();
+			GenericFormatterRegistry registry = new GenericFormatterRegistry();
+			registry.setConversionService(new DefaultConversionService());
+			this.formatterRegistry = registry;
 		}
 		else if (this.formatterRegistry instanceof GenericFormatterRegistry &&
 				((GenericFormatterRegistry) this.formatterRegistry).isShared()) {
diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/DataBinderTests.java b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/DataBinderTests.java
index 698753735ef..38d3707218c 100644
--- a/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/DataBinderTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/DataBinderTests.java
@@ -343,7 +343,8 @@ public class DataBinderTests extends TestCase {
 
 	private void doTestBindingWithDefaultFormatter(Object tb) {
 		DataBinder binder = new DataBinder(tb);
-		binder.setFormatterRegistry(new GenericFormatterRegistry());
+		// force formatter registry to be created
+		binder.getFormatterRegistry();
 		MutablePropertyValues pvs = new MutablePropertyValues();
 		pvs.addPropertyValue("number", "1,2");