diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplication.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplication.java
index 0b6689476c8..026a804a73f 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplication.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplication.java
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ import org.springframework.context.annotation.ClassPathBeanDefinitionScanner;
 import org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.support.GenericApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.core.GenericTypeResolver;
+import org.springframework.core.NativeDetector;
 import org.springframework.core.Ordered;
 import org.springframework.core.annotation.AnnotationAwareOrderComparator;
 import org.springframework.core.annotation.Order;
@@ -371,6 +372,7 @@ public class SpringApplication {
 			ApplicationArguments applicationArguments, Banner printedBanner) {
 		context.setEnvironment(environment);
 		postProcessApplicationContext(context);
+		addAotGeneratedInitializerIfNecessary(this.initializers);
 		applyInitializers(context);
 		listeners.contextPrepared(context);
 		bootstrapContext.close(context);
@@ -394,13 +396,30 @@ public class SpringApplication {
 		if (this.lazyInitialization) {
 			context.addBeanFactoryPostProcessor(new LazyInitializationBeanFactoryPostProcessor());
 		}
-		// Load the sources
-		Set<Object> sources = getAllSources();
-		Assert.notEmpty(sources, "Sources must not be empty");
-		load(context, sources.toArray(new Object[0]));
+		if (!NativeDetector.inNativeImage()) {
+			// Load the sources
+			Set<Object> sources = getAllSources();
+			Assert.notEmpty(sources, "Sources must not be empty");
+			load(context, sources.toArray(new Object[0]));
+		}
 		listeners.contextLoaded(context);
 	}
 
+	private void addAotGeneratedInitializerIfNecessary(List<ApplicationContextInitializer<?>> initializers) {
+		if (NativeDetector.inNativeImage()) {
+			try {
+				Class<?> aClass = Class.forName(this.mainApplicationClass.getName() + "__ApplicationContextInitializer",
+						true, getClassLoader());
+				ApplicationContextInitializer<?> initializer = (ApplicationContextInitializer<?>) aClass
+						.getDeclaredConstructor().newInstance();
+				initializers.add(0, initializer);
+			}
+			catch (Exception ex) {
+				throw new IllegalArgumentException("Failed to load AOT-generated ApplicationContextInitializer", ex);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	private boolean refreshContext(ConfigurableApplicationContext context) {
 		if (!SpringApplicationHooks.hooks().preRefresh(this, context)) {
 			return false;