diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser.java
index 1c0c14f640..7aa087f925 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import org.w3c.dom.Element;
  *
  * @author Luke Taylor
  * @author Ben Alex
+ * @since 2.0
  * @version $Id$
  */
 public class HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser implements BeanDefinitionParser {
@@ -91,6 +92,8 @@ public class HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser implements BeanDefinitionParser {
 
     static final String ATT_ACCESS_MGR = "access-decision-manager-ref";    
     static final String ATT_USER_SERVICE_REF = "user-service-ref";
+    
+    static final String ATT_ENTRY_POINT_REF = "entry-point-ref";
 
     public BeanDefinition parse(Element element, ParserContext parserContext) {
         BeanDefinitionRegistry registry = parserContext.getRegistry();
@@ -357,6 +360,14 @@ public class HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParser implements BeanDefinitionParser {
         }
         
         // We need to establish the main entry point.
+        // First check if a custom entry point bean is set
+        String customEntryPoint = element.getAttribute(ATT_ENTRY_POINT_REF);
+        
+        if (StringUtils.hasText(customEntryPoint)) {
+            parserContext.getRegistry().registerAlias(customEntryPoint, BeanIds.MAIN_ENTRY_POINT);
+            return;
+        }
+        
         // Basic takes precedence if explicit element is used and no others are configured
         if (basicAuthElt != null && formLoginElt == null && openIDLoginElt == null) {
         	parserContext.getRegistry().registerAlias(BeanIds.BASIC_AUTHENTICATION_ENTRY_POINT, BeanIds.MAIN_ENTRY_POINT);
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/config/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParserTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/config/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParserTests.java
index d3c6c93b9a..97d9311c38 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/config/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParserTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/config/HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParserTests.java
@@ -1,47 +1,48 @@
 package org.springframework.security.config;
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+
+import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.junit.After;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.springframework.context.support.AbstractXmlApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.mock.web.MockHttpServletRequest;
+import org.springframework.mock.web.MockHttpServletResponse;
+import org.springframework.mock.web.MockHttpSession;
+import org.springframework.security.ConfigAttributeDefinition;
+import org.springframework.security.MockAuthenticationEntryPoint;
+import org.springframework.security.MockFilterChain;
+import org.springframework.security.SecurityConfig;
 import org.springframework.security.concurrent.ConcurrentLoginException;
-import org.springframework.security.concurrent.ConcurrentSessionController;
 import org.springframework.security.concurrent.ConcurrentSessionControllerImpl;
 import org.springframework.security.concurrent.ConcurrentSessionFilter;
-import org.springframework.security.concurrent.SessionRegistryImpl;
 import org.springframework.security.context.HttpSessionContextIntegrationFilter;
-import org.springframework.security.intercept.web.FilterSecurityInterceptor;
-import org.springframework.security.intercept.web.FilterInvocationDefinitionSource;
 import org.springframework.security.intercept.web.FilterInvocation;
+import org.springframework.security.intercept.web.FilterInvocationDefinitionSource;
+import org.springframework.security.intercept.web.FilterSecurityInterceptor;
+import org.springframework.security.providers.UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken;
+import org.springframework.security.providers.anonymous.AnonymousProcessingFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.securechannel.ChannelProcessingFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.ui.ExceptionTranslationFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.ui.SessionFixationProtectionFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.ui.WebAuthenticationDetails;
-import org.springframework.security.ui.preauth.x509.X509PreAuthenticatedProcessingFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.ui.basicauth.BasicProcessingFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.ui.logout.LogoutFilter;
-import org.springframework.security.ui.rememberme.RememberMeProcessingFilter;
+import org.springframework.security.ui.preauth.x509.X509PreAuthenticatedProcessingFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.ui.rememberme.PersistentTokenBasedRememberMeServices;
+import org.springframework.security.ui.rememberme.RememberMeProcessingFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.ui.webapp.AuthenticationProcessingFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.ui.webapp.DefaultLoginPageGeneratingFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.util.FilterChainProxy;
-import org.springframework.security.util.PortMapperImpl;
 import org.springframework.security.util.InMemoryXmlApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.security.util.PortMapperImpl;
 import org.springframework.security.wrapper.SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter;
-import org.springframework.security.providers.UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken;
-import org.springframework.security.providers.anonymous.AnonymousProcessingFilter;
-import org.springframework.security.Authentication;
-import org.springframework.security.MockFilterChain;
-import org.springframework.security.ConfigAttributeDefinition;
-import org.springframework.security.SecurityConfig;
-import org.springframework.beans.BeanUtils;
-import org.springframework.context.support.AbstractXmlApplicationContext;
-import org.springframework.mock.web.MockHttpServletRequest;
-import org.springframework.mock.web.MockHttpServletResponse;
-import org.springframework.mock.web.MockHttpSession;
-
-import static org.junit.Assert.*;
-import org.junit.Test;
-import org.junit.After;
-
-import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.List;
 
 /**
  * @author Luke Taylor
@@ -300,6 +301,18 @@ public class HttpSecurityBeanDefinitionParserTests {
         auth.setDetails(new WebAuthenticationDetails(req));
         seshController.checkAuthenticationAllowed(auth);
     }
+    
+    @Test
+    public void customEntryPointIsSupported() {
+        setContext(
+                "<http auto-config='true' entry-point-ref='entryPoint'/>" +
+                "<b:bean id='entryPoint' class='org.springframework.security.MockAuthenticationEntryPoint'>" +
+                "    <b:constructor-arg value='/customlogin'/>" +
+                "</b:bean>" + AUTH_PROVIDER_XML);
+        ExceptionTranslationFilter etf = (ExceptionTranslationFilter) getFilterChainProxy().getFilters("/someurl").get(9);
+        assertTrue("ExceptionTranslationFilter should be configured with custom entry point", 
+                etf.getAuthenticationEntryPoint() instanceof MockAuthenticationEntryPoint);
+    }
 
     @Test
     public void disablingSessionProtectionRemovesFilter() throws Exception {