diff --git a/config/alfresco/bootstrap-context.xml b/config/alfresco/bootstrap-context.xml
index 401b8a5195..994d4335c4 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/bootstrap-context.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/bootstrap-context.xml
@@ -178,6 +178,10 @@
             </map>
         </property>
     </bean>
+    
+    <bean id="messengerFactory"
+        class="org.alfresco.repo.cluster.JGroupsMessengerFactory"
+        depends-on="jgroupsChannelFactory"/>
 
     <bean id="encryptionChecker" class="org.alfresco.encryption.EncryptionChecker">
        <property name="transactionService" ref="transactionService"/>
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessenger.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessenger.java
index ec698262c0..718bc71222 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessenger.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessenger.java
@@ -69,15 +69,14 @@ public class HazelcastMessenger<T extends Serializable> implements Messenger<T>,
         receiverDelegate.onReceive(message);
     }
 
-    protected String getTopicName()
-    {
-        return topic.getName();
-    }
-
-
     @Override
     public boolean isConnected()
     {
         return true;
     }
+    
+    protected ITopic<T> getTopic()
+    {
+        return topic;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessengerFactory.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessengerFactory.java
index 0c5390be51..cf86143e55 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessengerFactory.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessengerFactory.java
@@ -21,38 +21,32 @@ package org.alfresco.repo.cluster;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
 
-import org.alfresco.util.PropertyCheck;
-
+import com.hazelcast.core.HazelcastInstance;
 import com.hazelcast.core.ITopic;
 
 /**
  * Hazelcast-based implementation of the {@link MessengerFactory} interface.
- * The factory must be configured with an {@link ITopic} - which
- * should be configured with a topic name that corresponds to an application
- * region.
+ * The factory must be configured with a {@link HazelcastInstance} - which
+ * is the underlying factory for {@link ITopic} creation.
  * 
  * @author Matt Ward
  */
 public class HazelcastMessengerFactory implements MessengerFactory
 {
-    private ITopic<Object> topic;
+    private HazelcastInstance hazelcast;
     
+    @Override
+    public <T extends Serializable> Messenger<T> createMessenger(String appRegion)
+    {
+        ITopic<T> topic = hazelcast.getTopic(appRegion);
+        return new HazelcastMessenger<T>(topic);
+    }
     
     /**
-     * @param topic the topic to set
+     * @param hazelcast the hazelcast to set
      */
-    public void setTopic(ITopic<Object> topic)
+    public void setHazelcast(HazelcastInstance hazelcast)
     {
-        this.topic = topic;
-    }
-
-    /*
-     * @see org.alfresco.repo.cluster.MessengerFactory#createMessenger()
-     */
-    @Override
-    public <T extends Serializable> Messenger<T> createMessenger()
-    {
-        PropertyCheck.mandatory(this, "topic", topic);
-        return new HazelcastMessenger(topic);
+        this.hazelcast = hazelcast;
     }
 }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessengerFactoryTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessengerFactoryTest.java
index 81da050280..8a9c18309d 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessengerFactoryTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastMessengerFactoryTest.java
@@ -19,14 +19,16 @@
 
 package org.alfresco.repo.cluster;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertSame;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.mockito.Mock;
 import org.mockito.runners.MockitoJUnitRunner;
 
+import com.hazelcast.core.HazelcastInstance;
 import com.hazelcast.core.ITopic;
 
 
@@ -39,20 +41,23 @@ import com.hazelcast.core.ITopic;
 public class HazelcastMessengerFactoryTest
 {
     private HazelcastMessengerFactory factory;
-    private @Mock ITopic<Object> topic;
+    private @Mock HazelcastInstance hazelcast;
+    private @Mock ITopic<String> topic;
     
     @Before
     public void setUp()
     {
         factory = new HazelcastMessengerFactory();
-        factory.setTopic(topic);
+        factory.setHazelcast(hazelcast);
     }
     
     @Test
     public void topicWrappedInMessenger()
     {
-        when(topic.getName()).thenReturn("app-region");
-        HazelcastMessenger messenger = (HazelcastMessenger) factory.createMessenger();
-        assertEquals("app-region", messenger.getTopicName());
+        when(hazelcast.<String>getTopic("app-region")).thenReturn(topic);
+        
+        Messenger<String> messenger = factory.createMessenger("app-region");
+        
+        assertSame(topic, ((HazelcastMessenger<String>) messenger).getTopic());
     }
 }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastTest.java
index 4e6e2f5841..4815c7d0be 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/HazelcastTest.java
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public class HazelcastTest implements MessageListener<String>
         topic.addMessageListener(this);
         
         MessengerFactory messengerFactory = (MessengerFactory) ctx.getBean("messengerFactory");
-        Messenger<String> messenger = messengerFactory.createMessenger();
+        Messenger<String> messenger = messengerFactory.createMessenger("testregion");
         messenger.send("Full test including spring.");
         
         helper.checkMessageReceivedWas("Full test including spring.");
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/JGroupsMessengerFactory.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/JGroupsMessengerFactory.java
index 65e104e929..083c33810b 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/JGroupsMessengerFactory.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/JGroupsMessengerFactory.java
@@ -22,9 +22,8 @@ package org.alfresco.repo.cluster;
 import java.io.Serializable;
 
 import org.alfresco.repo.jgroups.AlfrescoJGroupsChannelFactory;
-import org.alfresco.util.PropertyCheck;
+import org.alfresco.util.ParameterCheck;
 import org.jgroups.Channel;
-import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Required;
 
 /**
  * JGroups implementation of the {@link MessengerFactory} interface.
@@ -33,20 +32,11 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Required;
  */
 public class JGroupsMessengerFactory implements MessengerFactory
 {
-    private String appRegion;
-    
-    
     @Override
-    public <T extends Serializable> Messenger<T> createMessenger()
+    public <T extends Serializable> Messenger<T> createMessenger(String appRegion)
     {
-        PropertyCheck.mandatory(this, "appRegion", appRegion);
+        ParameterCheck.mandatory("appRegion", appRegion);
         Channel channel = AlfrescoJGroupsChannelFactory.getChannel(appRegion);
         return new JGroupsMessenger<T>(channel);
-    }
-
-    @Required
-    public void setAppRegion(String appRegion)
-    {
-        this.appRegion = appRegion;
     }    
 }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/JGroupsTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/JGroupsTest.java
index e0f928fec4..9111a2f656 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/JGroupsTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/JGroupsTest.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class JGroupsTest extends ReceiverAdapter
         ch.setReceiver(this);
         
         MessengerFactory messengerFactory = (MessengerFactory) ctx.getBean("messengerFactory");
-        Messenger<String> messenger = messengerFactory.createMessenger();
+        Messenger<String> messenger = messengerFactory.createMessenger("testregion");
         messenger.send("Full test including spring.");
         
         helper.checkMessageReceivedWas("Full test including spring.");
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ public class JGroupsTest extends ReceiverAdapter
         AlfrescoJGroupsChannelFactory.rebuildChannels();
         
         JGroupsMessengerFactory messengerFactory = new JGroupsMessengerFactory();
-        messengerFactory.setAppRegion("testregion");
-        Messenger<String> messenger = messengerFactory.createMessenger();
+        
+        Messenger<String> messenger = messengerFactory.createMessenger("testregion");
         messenger.send("This is a test payload.");
         
         helper.checkMessageReceivedWas("This is a test payload.");
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/MessengerFactory.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/MessengerFactory.java
index 6ee3eeca3d..26f827063e 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/MessengerFactory.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/cluster/MessengerFactory.java
@@ -28,5 +28,5 @@ import java.io.Serializable;
  */
 public interface MessengerFactory
 {   
-    <T extends Serializable> Messenger<T> createMessenger();
+    <T extends Serializable> Messenger<T> createMessenger(String appRegion);
 }
diff --git a/source/test-resources/cluster-test/hazelcast-messenger-test.xml b/source/test-resources/cluster-test/hazelcast-messenger-test.xml
index b0425f1a0c..73ad0663b4 100644
--- a/source/test-resources/cluster-test/hazelcast-messenger-test.xml
+++ b/source/test-resources/cluster-test/hazelcast-messenger-test.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 <beans>
 
     <bean id="messengerFactory" class="org.alfresco.repo.cluster.HazelcastMessengerFactory">
-        <property name="topic" ref="messengerTopic"/>
+        <property name="hazelcast" ref="hazelcastInstance"/>
     </bean>
     
     <bean id="hazelcastInstance" class="com.hazelcast.core.Hazelcast" factory-method="newHazelcastInstance">
@@ -19,8 +19,4 @@
             </bean>
         </constructor-arg>
     </bean>
-
-    <bean id="messengerTopic" factory-bean="hazelcastInstance" factory-method="getTopic">
-        <constructor-arg value="testregion"/>
-    </bean>
 </beans>
diff --git a/source/test-resources/cluster-test/jgroups-messenger-test.xml b/source/test-resources/cluster-test/jgroups-messenger-test.xml
index 46f89844df..66cefab25b 100644
--- a/source/test-resources/cluster-test/jgroups-messenger-test.xml
+++ b/source/test-resources/cluster-test/jgroups-messenger-test.xml
@@ -16,12 +16,7 @@
         </property>
     </bean>
 
-
-    <!--
-      This could also be done as a spring FactoryBean, so that anything this is wired up to will
-      gain a Messenger instance that it can use to send messages.
-     -->
-    <bean id="messengerFactory" class="org.alfresco.repo.cluster.JGroupsMessengerFactory">
-        <property name="appRegion" value="testregion"/>
-    </bean>
+    <bean id="messengerFactory"
+        class="org.alfresco.repo.cluster.JGroupsMessengerFactory"
+        depends-on="jgroupsChannelFactory"/>
 </beans>
\ No newline at end of file