diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/attributes/AttributeServiceTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/attributes/AttributeServiceTest.java
index e5d4e3fb85..1db703836a 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/attributes/AttributeServiceTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/attributes/AttributeServiceTest.java
@@ -227,4 +227,53 @@ public class AttributeServiceTest extends TestCase
             fail();
         }
     }
+    
+    public void testDelete()
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            // Put some attributes in place.
+            MapAttribute map = new MapAttributeValue();
+            map.put("a", new StringAttributeValue("a"));
+            map.put("b", new StringAttributeValue("b"));
+            map.put("c", new StringAttributeValue("c"));
+            map.put("d", new StringAttributeValue("d"));
+            map.put("e", new StringAttributeValue("e"));
+            map.put("f", new StringAttributeValue("f"));
+            map.put("g", new StringAttributeValue("g"));
+            map.put("h", new StringAttributeValue("h"));
+            map.put("i", new StringAttributeValue("i"));
+            map.put("j", new StringAttributeValue("j"));
+            map.put("k", new StringAttributeValue("k"));
+            map.put("l", new StringAttributeValue("l"));
+            map.put("m", new StringAttributeValue("m"));
+            map.put("n", new StringAttributeValue("n"));
+            map.put("o", new StringAttributeValue("o"));
+            map.put("p", new StringAttributeValue("p"));
+            map.put("q", new StringAttributeValue("q"));
+            map.put("r", new StringAttributeValue("r"));
+            map.put("s", new StringAttributeValue("s"));
+            map.put("t", new StringAttributeValue("t"));
+            map.put("u", new StringAttributeValue("u"));
+            map.put("v", new StringAttributeValue("v"));
+            map.put("w", new StringAttributeValue("w"));
+            map.put("x", new StringAttributeValue("x"));
+            map.put("y", new StringAttributeValue("y"));
+            map.put("z", new StringAttributeValue("z"));
+            fService.setAttribute("", "map", map);
+            fService.setAttribute("map", "submap", map);
+            fService.setAttribute("map/submap", "subsubmap", map);
+            assertEquals(27, fService.getKeys("map").size());
+            assertEquals(27, fService.getKeys("map/submap").size());
+            fService.removeAttribute("map/submap/subsubmap", "b");
+            assertEquals(25, fService.getKeys("map/submap/subsubmap").size());
+            fService.removeAttribute("map/submap", "subsubmap");
+            assertEquals(26, fService.getKeys("map/submap").size());
+        }
+        catch (Exception e)
+        {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+        }
+    }
+    
 }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/service/ServiceDescriptorRegistry.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/service/ServiceDescriptorRegistry.java
index 9ed286e206..22f6297ae3 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/service/ServiceDescriptorRegistry.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/service/ServiceDescriptorRegistry.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import java.util.Collection;
 
 import org.alfresco.service.ServiceRegistry;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.action.ActionService;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.attributes.AttributeService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.audit.AuditService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.avm.AVMService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.avmsync.AVMSyncService;
@@ -352,4 +353,12 @@ public class ServiceDescriptorRegistry
     {
         return (CrossRepositoryCopyService)getService(CROSS_REPO_COPY_SERVICE);
     }
+
+    /* (non-Javadoc)
+     * @see org.alfresco.service.ServiceRegistry#getAttributeService()
+     */
+    public AttributeService getAttributeService()
+    {
+        return (AttributeService)getService(ATTRIBUTE_SERVICE);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/service/ServiceRegistry.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/service/ServiceRegistry.java
index 3909941605..da499a8649 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/service/ServiceRegistry.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/service/ServiceRegistry.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ package org.alfresco.service;
 import java.util.Collection;
 
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.action.ActionService;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.attributes.AttributeService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.audit.AuditService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.avm.AVMService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.avmsync.AVMSyncService;
@@ -104,6 +105,7 @@ public interface ServiceRegistry
     static final QName AVM_SERVICE = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.ALFRESCO_URI, "AVMService");
     static final QName AVM_SYNC_SERVICE = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.ALFRESCO_URI, "AVMSyncService");
     static final QName CROSS_REPO_COPY_SERVICE = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.ALFRESCO_URI, "CrossRepositoryCopyService");
+    static final QName ATTRIBUTE_SERVICE = QName.createQName(NamespaceService.ALFRESCO_URI, "AttributeService");
     
     /**
      * Get the list of services provided by the Repository
@@ -315,4 +317,11 @@ public interface ServiceRegistry
      */
     @NotAuditable
     CrossRepositoryCopyService getCrossRepositoryCopyService();
+    
+    /**
+     * Get the attribute service (or null if one is not provided)
+     * @return
+     */
+    @NotAuditable
+    AttributeService getAttributeService();
 }