diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/bind/PropertySourcesPropertyValues.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/bind/PropertySourcesPropertyValues.java
index 5a539133ce2..14cec13c5fe 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/bind/PropertySourcesPropertyValues.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/bind/PropertySourcesPropertyValues.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2017 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.
@@ -63,8 +63,21 @@ public class PropertySourcesPropertyValues implements PropertyValues {
 	 * @param propertySources a PropertySources instance
 	 */
 	public PropertySourcesPropertyValues(PropertySources propertySources) {
+		this(propertySources, true);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Create a new PropertyValues from the given PropertySources that will optionally
+	 * resolve placeholders.
+	 * @param propertySources a PropertySources instance
+	 * @param resolvePlaceholders {@code true} if placeholders should be resolved,
+	 * otherwise {@code false}
+	 * @since 1.5.2
+	 */
+	public PropertySourcesPropertyValues(PropertySources propertySources,
+			boolean resolvePlaceholders) {
 		this(propertySources, (Collection<String>) null, PropertyNamePatternsMatcher.ALL,
-				true);
+				resolvePlaceholders);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigFileApplicationListener.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigFileApplicationListener.java
index caca89d19d7..14652a93de7 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigFileApplicationListener.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigFileApplicationListener.java
@@ -527,10 +527,20 @@ public class ConfigFileApplicationListener implements EnvironmentPostProcessor,
 			SpringProfiles springProfiles = new SpringProfiles();
 			RelaxedDataBinder dataBinder = new RelaxedDataBinder(springProfiles,
 					"spring.profiles");
-			dataBinder.bind(new PropertySourcesPropertyValues(propertySources));
+			dataBinder.bind(new PropertySourcesPropertyValues(propertySources, false));
+			springProfiles.setActive(resolvePlaceholders(springProfiles.getActive()));
+			springProfiles.setInclude(resolvePlaceholders(springProfiles.getInclude()));
 			return springProfiles;
 		}
 
+		private List<String> resolvePlaceholders(List<String> values) {
+			List<String> resolved = new ArrayList<String>();
+			for (String value : values) {
+				resolved.add(this.environment.resolvePlaceholders(value));
+			}
+			return resolved;
+		}
+
 		private void maybeActivateProfiles(Set<Profile> profiles) {
 			if (this.activatedProfiles) {
 				if (!profiles.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigFileApplicationListenerTests.java b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigFileApplicationListenerTests.java
index 7ccd17c0522..db6dd3977e8 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigFileApplicationListenerTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/config/ConfigFileApplicationListenerTests.java
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
 import ch.qos.logback.classic.BasicConfigurator;
@@ -849,6 +851,20 @@ public class ConfigFileApplicationListenerTests {
 				.isFalse();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void activeProfilesCanBeConfiguredUsingPlaceholdersResolvedAgainstTheEnvironment()
+			throws Exception {
+		Map<String, Object> source = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+		source.put("activeProfile", "testPropertySource");
+		org.springframework.core.env.PropertySource<?> propertySource = new MapPropertySource(
+				"test", source);
+		this.environment.getPropertySources().addLast(propertySource);
+		this.initializer.setSearchNames("testactiveprofiles");
+		this.initializer.postProcessEnvironment(this.environment, this.application);
+		assertThat(this.environment.getActiveProfiles())
+				.containsExactly("testPropertySource");
+	}
+
 	private Condition<ConfigurableEnvironment> matchingPropertySource(
 			final String sourceName) {
 		return new Condition<ConfigurableEnvironment>(
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/resources/testactiveprofiles.properties b/spring-boot/src/test/resources/testactiveprofiles.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..11cdae3b77e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/resources/testactiveprofiles.properties
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+spring.profiles.active=${activeProfile:propertiesfile}