diff --git a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabase.java b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabase.java
index 9feb54adf81..075eca8d3ef 100644
--- a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabase.java
+++ b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabase.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.embedded;
 
-import javax.annotation.PreDestroy;
 import javax.sql.DataSource;
 
 /**
@@ -29,6 +28,5 @@ public interface EmbeddedDatabase extends DataSource {
 	/**
 	 * Shutdown this embedded database.
 	 */
-	@PreDestroy
 	void shutdown();
 }
diff --git a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabaseFactory.java b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabaseFactory.java
index 481591df3fc..4f616c470d2 100644
--- a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabaseFactory.java
+++ b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabaseFactory.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class EmbeddedDatabaseFactory {
 
 	private DatabasePopulator databasePopulator;
 
-	private EmbeddedDatabase database;
+	private DataSource dataSource;
 	
 	/**
 	 * Creates a default {@link EmbeddedDatabaseFactory}.
@@ -122,42 +122,51 @@ public class EmbeddedDatabaseFactory {
 	 * Factory method that returns the embedded database instance.
 	 */
 	public EmbeddedDatabase getDatabase() {
-		if (database == null) {
-			initDatabase();
+		if (dataSource == null) {
+			initDataSource();
 		}
-		return database;
+		return new EmbeddedDataSourceProxy(dataSource);
 	}
-	
-	// internal helper methods
 
-	private void initDatabase() {
+	// subclassing hooks
+	
+	protected void initDataSource() {
 		// create the embedded database source first
-		database = new EmbeddedDataSourceProxy(createDataSource());
 		if (logger.isInfoEnabled()) {
 			logger.info("Created embedded database '" + databaseName + "'");
 		}
+		databaseConfigurer.configureConnectionProperties(dataSourceFactory.getConnectionProperties(), databaseName);
+		dataSource = dataSourceFactory.getDataSource();
 		if (databasePopulator != null) {
 			// now populate the database
 			populateDatabase();
 		}
 	}
 
-	private DataSource createDataSource() {
-		databaseConfigurer.configureConnectionProperties(dataSourceFactory.getConnectionProperties(), databaseName);
-		return dataSourceFactory.getDataSource();
+	protected DataSource getDataSource() {
+		return dataSource;
 	}
+	
+	protected void shutdownDataSource() {
+		if (dataSource != null) {
+			databaseConfigurer.shutdown(dataSource);
+			dataSource = null;
+		}
+	}
+	
+	// internal helper methods
 
 	private void populateDatabase() {
-		TransactionTemplate template = new TransactionTemplate(new DataSourceTransactionManager(database));
+		TransactionTemplate template = new TransactionTemplate(new DataSourceTransactionManager(dataSource));
 		template.execute(new TransactionCallbackWithoutResult() {
 			@Override
 			protected void doInTransactionWithoutResult(TransactionStatus status) {
-				databasePopulator.populate(new JdbcTemplate(database));
+				databasePopulator.populate(new JdbcTemplate(dataSource));
 			}
 		});
 	}
 	
-	class EmbeddedDataSourceProxy implements EmbeddedDatabase {
+	private class EmbeddedDataSourceProxy implements EmbeddedDatabase {
 		private DataSource dataSource;
 
 		public EmbeddedDataSourceProxy(DataSource dataSource) {
@@ -198,16 +207,9 @@ public class EmbeddedDatabaseFactory {
 		}
 		
 		public void shutdown() {
-			shutdownDatabase();
+			shutdownDataSource();
 		}
 
 	}
 	
-	private void shutdownDatabase() {
-		if (database != null) {
-			databaseConfigurer.shutdown(database);
-			database = null;
-		}
-	}
-	
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabaseFactoryBean.java b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabaseFactoryBean.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e6682fe2385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/embedded/EmbeddedDatabaseFactoryBean.java
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/*
+ * 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.jdbc.datasource.embedded;
+
+import javax.sql.DataSource;
+
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.DisposableBean;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.FactoryBean;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
+
+/**
+ * A subclass of {@link EmbeddedDatabaseFactory} that implements {@link FactoryBean} for registration as a Spring bean.
+ * Returns the actual {@link DataSource} that provides connectivity to the embedded database to Spring.
+ * The target DataSource is returned instead of a {@link EmbeddedDatabase} proxy since the FactoryBean will manage the initialization and destruction lifecycle of the database instance.
+ * Implements DisposableBean to shutdown the embedded database when the managing Spring container is shutdown.
+ * 
+ * @author Keith Donald
+ */
+public class EmbeddedDatabaseFactoryBean extends EmbeddedDatabaseFactory implements FactoryBean<DataSource>, InitializingBean, DisposableBean {
+
+	public void afterPropertiesSet() throws Exception {
+		initDataSource();
+	}
+
+	public DataSource getObject() throws Exception {
+		return getDataSource();
+	}
+
+	public Class<? extends DataSource> getObjectType() {
+		return DataSource.class;
+	}
+
+	public boolean isSingleton() {
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	public void destroy() throws Exception {
+		shutdownDataSource();
+	}	
+
+}