diff --git a/config/alfresco/bootstrap-context.xml b/config/alfresco/bootstrap-context.xml
index baa44825c0..fd33e48efc 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/bootstrap-context.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/bootstrap-context.xml
@@ -727,4 +727,18 @@
         class="org.alfresco.repo.workflow.activiti.ActivitiEngineInitializer">
         <property name="workflowAdminService" ref="workflowAdminService" />
     </bean>
+ 
+   <!-- Custom property editors -->
+   <bean class="org.springframework.beans.factory.config.CustomEditorConfigurer">
+      <property name="propertyEditorRegistrars">
+         <list>
+            <ref bean="customPropertyEditorRegistrar"/>
+         </list>
+      </property>
+   </bean>
+
+   <bean id="customPropertyEditorRegistrar"
+      class="org.alfresco.util.CustomPropertyEditorRegistrar">
+      <property name="namespaceService" ref="NamespaceService"/>
+   </bean>
 </beans>
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/CustomPropertyEditorRegistrar.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/CustomPropertyEditorRegistrar.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e75674483e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/CustomPropertyEditorRegistrar.java
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2014 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;
+
+import org.alfresco.service.namespace.NamespaceService;
+import org.alfresco.service.namespace.QName;
+import org.springframework.beans.PropertyEditorRegistrar;
+import org.springframework.beans.PropertyEditorRegistry;
+
+/**
+ * Custom property editor registrar.
+ *
+ * @author Roy Wetherall
+ * @since 5.0
+ */
+public class CustomPropertyEditorRegistrar implements PropertyEditorRegistrar
+{
+    /** namespace service */
+    private NamespaceService namespaceService;
+
+    /**
+     * @param namespaceService  namespace service
+     */
+    public void setNamespaceService(NamespaceService namespaceService)
+    {
+        this.namespaceService = namespaceService;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see org.springframework.beans.PropertyEditorRegistrar#registerCustomEditors(org.springframework.beans.PropertyEditorRegistry)
+     */
+    @Override
+    public void registerCustomEditors(PropertyEditorRegistry registry)
+    {
+        // add custom QName editor
+        registry.registerCustomEditor(QName.class, new QNameTypeEditor(namespaceService));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/util/QNameTypeEditor.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/QNameTypeEditor.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..98de6abbec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/util/QNameTypeEditor.java
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2014 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;
+
+import java.beans.PropertyEditorSupport;
+
+import org.alfresco.service.namespace.NamespaceService;
+import org.alfresco.service.namespace.QName;
+
+/**
+ * QName type editor.
+ *
+ * @author Roy Wetherall
+ * @since 5.0
+ */
+public class QNameTypeEditor extends PropertyEditorSupport
+{
+    /** namespace service */
+    private NamespaceService namespaceService;
+
+    /**
+     * @param namespaceService  namespace service
+     */
+    public QNameTypeEditor(NamespaceService namespaceService)
+    {
+        this.namespaceService = namespaceService;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see java.beans.PropertyEditorSupport#setAsText(java.lang.String)
+     */
+    @Override
+    public void setAsText(String text)
+    {
+        // convert prefix string to QName
+        setValue(QName.createQName(text, namespaceService));
+    }
+}