diff --git a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/http/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser.java b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/http/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser.java
index 97a7d2f9d7..a6c4553a12 100644
--- a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/http/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser.java
+++ b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/http/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import java.util.*;
 public class HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser implements BeanDefinitionParser {
     private static final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser.class);
 
+    private static final String ATT_REQUEST_MATCHER_REF = "request-matcher-ref";
     static final String ATT_PATH_PATTERN = "pattern";
     static final String ATT_HTTP_METHOD = "method";
 
@@ -90,9 +91,11 @@ public class HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser implements BeanDefinitionParser {
         boolean secured = !OPT_SECURITY_NONE.equals(element.getAttribute(ATT_SECURED));
 
         if (!secured) {
-            if (!StringUtils.hasText(element.getAttribute(ATT_PATH_PATTERN))) {
+            if (!StringUtils.hasText(element.getAttribute(ATT_PATH_PATTERN)) &&
+                    !StringUtils.hasText(ATT_REQUEST_MATCHER_REF)) {
                 pc.getReaderContext().error("The '" + ATT_SECURED + "' attribute must be used in combination with" +
-                        " the '" + ATT_PATH_PATTERN +"' attribute.", pc.extractSource(element));
+                        " the '" + ATT_PATH_PATTERN +"' or '" + ATT_REQUEST_MATCHER_REF + "' attributes.",
+                        pc.extractSource(element));
             }
 
             for (int n=0; n < element.getChildNodes().getLength(); n ++) {
@@ -139,10 +142,19 @@ public class HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser implements BeanDefinitionParser {
     }
 
     private BeanReference createSecurityFilterChainBean(Element element, ParserContext pc, List<?> filterChain) {
-        BeanDefinition filterChainMatcher;
+        BeanMetadataElement filterChainMatcher;
 
+        String requestMatcherRef = element.getAttribute(ATT_REQUEST_MATCHER_REF);
         String filterChainPattern = element.getAttribute(ATT_PATH_PATTERN);
+
+        if (StringUtils.hasText(requestMatcherRef)) {
         if (StringUtils.hasText(filterChainPattern)) {
+                pc.getReaderContext().error("You can't define a pattern and a request-matcher-ref for the " +
+                        "same filter chain", pc.extractSource(element));
+            }
+            filterChainMatcher = new RuntimeBeanReference(requestMatcherRef);
+
+        } else if (StringUtils.hasText(filterChainPattern)) {
             filterChainMatcher = MatcherType.fromElement(element).createMatcher(filterChainPattern, null);
         } else {
             filterChainMatcher = new RootBeanDefinition(AnyRequestMatcher.class);
diff --git a/config/src/main/resources/org/springframework/security/config/spring-security-3.1.rnc b/config/src/main/resources/org/springframework/security/config/spring-security-3.1.rnc
index 2adbdb7366..de57a115f3 100644
--- a/config/src/main/resources/org/springframework/security/config/spring-security-3.1.rnc
+++ b/config/src/main/resources/org/springframework/security/config/spring-security-3.1.rnc
@@ -275,7 +275,9 @@ http.attlist &=
 http.attlist &=
     ## When set to 'none', requests matching the pattern attribute will be ignored by Spring Security. No security filters will be applied and no SecurityContext will be available. If set, the <http> element must be empty, with no children.
     attribute security {"none"}?
-
+http.attlist &=
+    ## Allows a RequestMatcher instance to be used, as an alternative to pattern-matching.
+    attribute request-matcher-ref { xsd:token }?
 http.attlist &=
     ## Automatically registers a login form, BASIC authentication, anonymous authentication, logout services, remember-me and servlet-api-integration. If set to "true", all of these capabilities are added (although you can still customize the configuration of each by providing the respective element). If unspecified, defaults to "false".
     attribute auto-config {xsd:boolean}?
diff --git a/config/src/main/resources/org/springframework/security/config/spring-security-3.1.xsd b/config/src/main/resources/org/springframework/security/config/spring-security-3.1.xsd
index 446de2e8d0..298c1b7305 100644
--- a/config/src/main/resources/org/springframework/security/config/spring-security-3.1.xsd
+++ b/config/src/main/resources/org/springframework/security/config/spring-security-3.1.xsd
@@ -706,6 +706,11 @@
         </xs:restriction>
       </xs:simpleType>
     </xs:attribute>
+    <xs:attribute name="request-matcher-ref" type="xs:token">
+      <xs:annotation>
+        <xs:documentation>Allows a RequestMatcher instance to be used, as an alternative to pattern-matching.</xs:documentation>
+      </xs:annotation>
+    </xs:attribute>
     <xs:attribute name="auto-config" type="xs:boolean">
       <xs:annotation>
         <xs:documentation>Automatically registers a login form, BASIC authentication, anonymous authentication, logout services, remember-me and servlet-api-integration. If set to "true", all of these capabilities are added (although you can still customize the configuration of each by providing the respective element). If unspecified, defaults to "false".</xs:documentation>
diff --git a/config/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/security/config/http/MiscHttpConfigTests.groovy b/config/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/security/config/http/MiscHttpConfigTests.groovy
index 40a1cd9df2..03bd9e013e 100644
--- a/config/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/security/config/http/MiscHttpConfigTests.groovy
+++ b/config/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/security/config/http/MiscHttpConfigTests.groovy
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ import org.springframework.security.access.vote.AffirmativeBased
 import org.springframework.security.access.PermissionEvaluator
 import org.springframework.security.core.Authentication
 import org.springframework.security.web.access.expression.DefaultWebSecurityExpressionHandler
+import org.springframework.security.web.util.AntPathRequestMatcher
 
 class MiscHttpConfigTests extends AbstractHttpConfigTests {
     def 'Minimal configuration parses'() {
@@ -138,6 +139,17 @@ class MiscHttpConfigTests extends AbstractHttpConfigTests {
         filtersMatchExpectedAutoConfigList('/Im_caught_by_the_Universal_Match');
     }
 
+    def requestMatcherRefWorksCorrectly() {
+        xml.http('request-matcher-ref': 'matcher', security: 'none')
+        bean('matcher', AntPathRequestMatcher.class.name, ['/nofilters'])
+        httpAutoConfig() {}
+        createAppContext()
+
+        expect:
+        getFilters('/nofilters').size() == 0
+        filtersMatchExpectedAutoConfigList('/somethingElse');
+    }
+
     // SEC-1152
     def anonymousFilterIsAddedByDefault() {
         xml.http {