diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/AbstractMappingMetadataExtracter.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/AbstractMappingMetadataExtracter.java
index 8f4c3eab48..bb53c2aa5c 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/AbstractMappingMetadataExtracter.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/AbstractMappingMetadataExtracter.java
@@ -1534,10 +1534,12 @@ abstract public class AbstractMappingMetadataExtracter implements MetadataExtrac
      * The default implementation looks for the default mapping file in the location
      * given by the class name and <i>.properties</i>.  If the extracter's class is
      * <b>x.y.z.MyExtracter</b> then the default properties will be picked up at
-     * <b>classpath:/x/y/z/MyExtracter.properties</b>.
+     * <b>classpath:/alfresco/metadata/MyExtracter.properties</b>.
+     * The previous location of <b>classpath:/x/y/z/MyExtracter.properties</b> is
+     * still supported but may be removed in a future release.
      * Inner classes are supported, but the '$' in the class name is replaced with '-', so
      * default properties for <b>x.y.z.MyStuff$MyExtracter</b> will be located using
-     * <b>x.y.z.MyStuff-MyExtracter.properties</b>.
+     * <b>classpath:/alfresco/metadata/MyStuff-MyExtracter.properties</b>.
      * <p>
      * The default mapping implementation should include thorough Javadocs so that the
      * system administrators can accurately determine how to best enhance or override the
@@ -1560,15 +1562,42 @@ abstract public class AbstractMappingMetadataExtracter implements MetadataExtrac
      */
     protected Map<String, Set<QName>> getDefaultMapping()
     {
-        String className = this.getClass().getName();
-        // Replace $
-        className = className.replace('$', '-');
-        // Replace .
-        className = className.replace('.', '/');
-        // Append .properties
-        String propertiesUrl = className + ".properties";
-        // Attempt to load the properties
-        return readMappingProperties(propertiesUrl);
+        AlfrescoRuntimeException metadataLocationReadException = null;
+        try
+        {
+            // Can't use getSimpleName here because we lose inner class $ processing
+            String className = this.getClass().getName();
+            String shortClassName = className.split("\\.")[className.split("\\.").length - 1];
+            // Replace $
+            shortClassName = shortClassName.replace('$', '-');
+            // Append .properties
+            String metadataPropertiesUrl = "alfresco/metadata/" + shortClassName + ".properties";
+            // Attempt to load the properties
+            return readMappingProperties(metadataPropertiesUrl);
+        }
+        catch (AlfrescoRuntimeException e)
+        {
+            // We'll save this to throw at someone later
+            metadataLocationReadException = e;
+        }
+        // Try package location
+        try
+        {
+            String canonicalClassName = this.getClass().getName();
+            // Replace $
+            canonicalClassName = canonicalClassName.replace('$', '-');
+            // Replace .
+            canonicalClassName = canonicalClassName.replace('.', '/');
+            // Append .properties
+            String packagePropertiesUrl = canonicalClassName + ".properties";
+            // Attempt to load the properties
+            return readMappingProperties(packagePropertiesUrl);
+        }
+        catch (AlfrescoRuntimeException e)
+        {
+            // Not found in either location, but we want to throw the error for the new metadata location
+            throw metadataLocationReadException;
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/MappingMetadataExtracterTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/MappingMetadataExtracterTest.java
index 5fe20fabba..040d6ee80f 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/MappingMetadataExtracterTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/MappingMetadataExtracterTest.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import java.util.Set;
 
 import junit.framework.TestCase;
 
+import org.alfresco.error.AlfrescoRuntimeException;
 import org.alfresco.repo.content.MimetypeMap;
 import org.alfresco.repo.content.filestore.FileContentReader;
 import org.alfresco.repo.content.metadata.MetadataExtracter.OverwritePolicy;
@@ -68,6 +69,42 @@ public class MappingMetadataExtracterTest extends TestCase
         assertTrue("Extracter not initialized.", extracter.initCheck);
     }
     
+    /** Test the new alfresco/metadata properties location */
+    public void testSetUpPropertiesLocationMetadata()
+    {
+        DummyPropertiesInMetadataLocationMappingMetadataExtracter metadataLocationExtracter = 
+                new DummyPropertiesInMetadataLocationMappingMetadataExtracter();
+        metadataLocationExtracter.register();
+        assertNotNull("Extracter not initialized.", metadataLocationExtracter.getMapping());
+        assertNotNull("Mapping not found", 
+                metadataLocationExtracter.getMapping().get(DummyMappingMetadataExtracter.PROP_A));
+    }
+    
+    /** Test that the old package-based properties location still works */
+    public void testSetUpPropertiesLocationPackage()
+    {
+        DummyPropertiesInPackageLocationMappingMetadataExtracter packageLocationExtracter = 
+                new DummyPropertiesInPackageLocationMappingMetadataExtracter();
+        packageLocationExtracter.register();
+        assertNotNull("Extracter not initialized.", packageLocationExtracter.getMapping());
+        assertNotNull("Mapping not found", 
+                packageLocationExtracter.getMapping().get(DummyMappingMetadataExtracter.PROP_A));
+    }
+    
+    /** Test that an extract with missing location throws the correct error */
+    public void testSetUpPropertiesMissing()
+    {
+        DummyPropertiesMissingMappingMetadataExtracter propertiesMissingExtracter = 
+                new DummyPropertiesMissingMappingMetadataExtracter();
+        try
+        {
+            propertiesMissingExtracter.register();
+        } catch (AlfrescoRuntimeException e)
+        {
+            assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("alfresco/metadata/"));
+        }
+    }
+    
     public void testDefaultExtract() throws Exception
     {
         destination.clear();
@@ -277,6 +314,33 @@ public class MappingMetadataExtracterTest extends TestCase
         }
     }
     
+    public static class DummyPropertiesInPackageLocationMappingMetadataExtracter extends AbstractMappingMetadataExtracter
+    {
+        @Override
+        protected Map<String, Serializable> extractRaw(ContentReader reader) throws Throwable
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+    
+    public static class DummyPropertiesInMetadataLocationMappingMetadataExtracter extends AbstractMappingMetadataExtracter
+    {
+        @Override
+        protected Map<String, Serializable> extractRaw(ContentReader reader) throws Throwable
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+    
+    public static class DummyPropertiesMissingMappingMetadataExtracter extends AbstractMappingMetadataExtracter
+    {
+        @Override
+        protected Map<String, Serializable> extractRaw(ContentReader reader) throws Throwable
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+    
     private static class JunkValue implements Serializable
     {
         private static final JunkValue INSTANCE = new JunkValue();
diff --git a/source/test-resources/alfresco/metadata/MappingMetadataExtracterTest-DummyPropertiesInMetadataLocationMappingMetadataExtracter.properties b/source/test-resources/alfresco/metadata/MappingMetadataExtracterTest-DummyPropertiesInMetadataLocationMappingMetadataExtracter.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95c5408b3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/test-resources/alfresco/metadata/MappingMetadataExtracterTest-DummyPropertiesInMetadataLocationMappingMetadataExtracter.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#
+# Dummy - default mapping
+#
+# Namespaces
+namespace.prefix.cm=http://www.alfresco.org/model/content/1.0
+namespace.prefix.dum=http://DummyMappingMetadataExtracter
+
+# Mappings
+a=dum:a1,dum:a2,dum:a3
diff --git a/source/test-resources/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/MappingMetadataExtracterTest-DummyPropertiesInPackageLocationMappingMetadataExtracter.properties b/source/test-resources/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/MappingMetadataExtracterTest-DummyPropertiesInPackageLocationMappingMetadataExtracter.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95c5408b3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/test-resources/org/alfresco/repo/content/metadata/MappingMetadataExtracterTest-DummyPropertiesInPackageLocationMappingMetadataExtracter.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#
+# Dummy - default mapping
+#
+# Namespaces
+namespace.prefix.cm=http://www.alfresco.org/model/content/1.0
+namespace.prefix.dum=http://DummyMappingMetadataExtracter
+
+# Mappings
+a=dum:a1,dum:a2,dum:a3