diff --git a/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java b/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
index 230d95443b..45247a384c 100644
--- a/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
+++ b/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ public class AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor extends InstantiationAwareBean
 					value = beanFactory.resolveDependency(descriptor, beanName, autowiredBeanNames, typeConverter);
 					synchronized (this) {
 						if (!this.cached) {
-							if (value != null) {
+							if (value != null || this.required) {
 								this.cachedFieldValue = descriptor;
 								registerDependentBeans(beanName, autowiredBeanNames);
 								if (autowiredBeanNames.size() == 1) {
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ public class AutowiredAnnotationBeanPostProcessor extends InstantiationAwareBean
 						descriptors[i] = new DependencyDescriptor(methodParam, this.required);
 						arguments[i] = beanFactory.resolveDependency(
 								descriptors[i], beanName, autowiredBeanNames, typeConverter);
-						if (arguments[i] == null) {
+						if (arguments[i] == null && !this.required) {
 							arguments = null;
 							break;
 						}
diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/configuration/AutowiredConfigurationTests.java b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/configuration/AutowiredConfigurationTests.java
index f76300180e..da56d717da 100644
--- a/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/configuration/AutowiredConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/configuration/AutowiredConfigurationTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2009 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2010 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.
@@ -18,8 +18,10 @@ package org.springframework.context.annotation.configuration;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.*;
 import static org.junit.Assert.*;
-
 import org.junit.Test;
+import test.beans.Colour;
+import test.beans.TestBean;
+
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
@@ -27,18 +29,17 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.RootBeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.XmlBeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Scope;
 import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.support.GenericApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.core.io.ClassPathResource;
 
-import test.beans.Colour;
-import test.beans.TestBean;
-
 /**
  * System tests covering use of {@link Autowired} and {@link Value} within
  * {@link Configuration} classes.
  * 
  * @author Chris Beams
+ * @author Juergen Hoeller
  */
 public class AutowiredConfigurationTests {
 
@@ -98,25 +99,56 @@ public class AutowiredConfigurationTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testValueInjection() {
-		System.setProperty("myProp", "foo");
-
 		ClassPathXmlApplicationContext factory = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
 		        "ValueInjectionTests.xml", AutowiredConfigurationTests.class);
 
+		System.clearProperty("myProp");
+
 		TestBean testBean = factory.getBean("testBean", TestBean.class);
+		assertNull(testBean.getName());
+
+		testBean = factory.getBean("testBean2", TestBean.class);
+		assertNull(testBean.getName());
+
+		System.setProperty("myProp", "foo");
+
+		testBean = factory.getBean("testBean", TestBean.class);
+		assertThat(testBean.getName(), equalTo("foo"));
+
+		testBean = factory.getBean("testBean2", TestBean.class);
 		assertThat(testBean.getName(), equalTo("foo"));
+
+		System.clearProperty("myProp");
+
+		testBean = factory.getBean("testBean", TestBean.class);
+		assertNull(testBean.getName());
+
+		testBean = factory.getBean("testBean2", TestBean.class);
+		assertNull(testBean.getName());
 	}
 
 	@Configuration
 	static class ValueConfig {
 
-		@Value("#{systemProperties.myProp}")
-		private String name = "default";
+		@Value("#{systemProperties[myProp]}")
+		private String name;
 
-		@Bean
+		private String name2;
+
+		@Value("#{systemProperties[myProp]}")
+		public void setName2(String name) {
+			this.name2 = name;
+		}
+
+		@Bean @Scope("prototype")
 		public TestBean testBean() {
 			return new TestBean(name);
 		}
+
+		@Bean @Scope("prototype")
+		public TestBean testBean2() {
+			return new TestBean(name2);
+		}
 	}