diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInit.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInit.java
index c95179609b..2f307ffe2e 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInit.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInit.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  */
 package org.alfresco.util.test.junitrules;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -79,6 +80,34 @@ public class ApplicationContextInit extends ExternalResource
         this.configLocations = configLocations;
     }
     
+    /**
+     * This factory method constructs a JUnit rule which will bring up an ApplicationContext consisting
+     * of the default Alfresco context with any additionConfigLocations appended. It is a convenient way to specify
+     * override contexts in test code.
+     * 
+     * @param additionalConfigLocations addition config locations containing additional or overriding beans.
+     */
+    public static ApplicationContextInit createStandardContextWithOverrides(String... additionalConfigLocations)
+    {
+        List<String> contexts = new ArrayList<String>();
+        
+        // The defaults (currently only one)
+        for (String defaultConfigLocation: ApplicationContextHelper.CONFIG_LOCATIONS)
+        {
+            contexts.add(defaultConfigLocation);
+        }
+        
+        // any user supplied extras
+        for (String additionalContext : additionalConfigLocations)
+        {
+            contexts.add(additionalContext);
+        }
+        
+        String[] contextsAsArray = contexts.toArray(new String[0]);
+        
+        return new ApplicationContextInit(contextsAsArray);
+    }
+    
     @Override protected void before() throws Throwable
     {
         // Were any context locations specified in the constructor?
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInitTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInitTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5707762161
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/ApplicationContextInitTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2012 Alfresco Software Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is part of Alfresco
+ *
+ * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package org.alfresco.util.test.junitrules;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.ContentService;
+import org.junit.ClassRule;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ * Test class for {@link ApplicationContextInit}.
+ * 
+ * @author Neil Mc Erlean
+ * @since Odin
+ */
+public class ApplicationContextInitTest
+{
+    // Some dummy contexts with test beans in them.
+    public static final String[] dummySpringContexts = new String[] {"classpath:org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/dummy1-context.xml",
+                                                                     "classpath:org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/dummy2-context.xml"};
+    
+    // Rule to initialise the default Alfresco spring configuration
+    @ClassRule public static ApplicationContextInit APP_CONTEXT_INIT = ApplicationContextInit.createStandardContextWithOverrides(dummySpringContexts);
+    
+    @Test public void ensureSpringContextWasInitedWithOverrides() throws Exception
+    {
+        // Bean from the standard Alfresco context
+        assertNotNull("Spring context did not contain expected bean.",
+                      APP_CONTEXT_INIT.getApplicationContext().getBean("contentService", ContentService.class));
+        
+        // Bean from the first override context
+        assertEquals("Value from dummy1-context.xml",
+                      APP_CONTEXT_INIT.getApplicationContext().getBean("testBean1", String.class));
+        
+        // Bean from the second override context
+        assertEquals("Value from dummy2-context.xml",
+                APP_CONTEXT_INIT.getApplicationContext().getBean("testBean2", String.class));
+        
+        // Bean overridden in second context
+        assertEquals("Value from dummy2-context.xml",
+                APP_CONTEXT_INIT.getApplicationContext().getBean("testBean1and2", String.class));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/dummy1-context.xml b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/dummy1-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..92efded7b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/dummy1-context.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
+
+<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
+    xmlns:context="http://www.springframework.org/schema/context"
+    xmlns:tx="http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx"
+    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+    xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans   http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd
+                           http://www.springframework.org/schema/context http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context-3.0.xsd
+                           http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx      http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-3.0.xsd">
+   
+   <bean id="testBean1" class="java.lang.String">
+      <constructor-arg value="Value from dummy1-context.xml"/>
+   </bean>
+   
+   <bean id="testBean1and2" class="java.lang.String">
+      <constructor-arg value="Value from dummy1-context.xml"/>
+   </bean>
+</beans>
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/dummy2-context.xml b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/dummy2-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aaf1f33444
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/test/junitrules/dummy2-context.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
+
+<beans xmlns="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans"
+    xmlns:context="http://www.springframework.org/schema/context"
+    xmlns:tx="http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx"
+    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+    xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans   http://www.springframework.org/schema/beans/spring-beans.xsd
+                           http://www.springframework.org/schema/context http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context-3.0.xsd
+                           http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx      http://www.springframework.org/schema/tx/spring-tx-3.0.xsd">
+   
+   <bean id="testBean2" class="java.lang.String">
+      <constructor-arg value="Value from dummy2-context.xml"/>
+   </bean>
+   
+   <bean id="testBean1and2" class="java.lang.String">
+      <constructor-arg value="Value from dummy2-context.xml"/>
+   </bean>
+</beans>