diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/xbean/XBeanBrokerService.java b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/xbean/XBeanBrokerService.java
index f07c72b44b..446445a8f4 100644
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/xbean/XBeanBrokerService.java
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/xbean/XBeanBrokerService.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.DisposableBean;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextAware;
+import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
 
 /**
  * An ActiveMQ Message Broker. It consists of a number of transport
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ public class XBeanBrokerService extends BrokerService implements InitializingBea
 
     private boolean start = true;
     private ApplicationContext applicationContext = null;
+    private boolean destroyApplicationContextOnShutdown = false;
 
     public XBeanBrokerService() {
     }
@@ -49,6 +51,15 @@ public class XBeanBrokerService extends BrokerService implements InitializingBea
         if (start) {
             start();
         }
+        if (destroyApplicationContextOnShutdown) {
+            addShutdownHook(new Runnable() {
+                public void run() {
+                    if (applicationContext instanceof ConfigurableApplicationContext) {
+	                    ((ConfigurableApplicationContext) applicationContext).close();
+                    }
+                }
+            });
+        }
     }
 
     public void destroy() throws Exception {
@@ -68,6 +79,14 @@ public class XBeanBrokerService extends BrokerService implements InitializingBea
         this.start = start;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets whether the broker should shutdown the ApplicationContext when the broker is stopped.
+     * The broker can be stopped because the underlying JDBC store is unavailable for example.
+     */
+    public void setDestroyApplicationContextOnShutdown(boolean destroy) {
+        this.destroyApplicationContextOnShutdown = destroy;
+    }
+
 	public void setApplicationContext(ApplicationContext applicationContext)
 			throws BeansException {
 		this.applicationContext = applicationContext;
diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd b/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd
index 8b4e98118f..83dbb6bea6 100644
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd
@@ -824,6 +824,14 @@ with JUnit tests you may wish to start and stop the broker explicitly yourself.
           ]]></xs:documentation>
         </xs:annotation>
       </xs:attribute>
+      <xs:attribute name='destroyApplicationContextOnShutdown' type='xs:boolean'>
+        <xs:annotation>
+          <xs:documentation><![CDATA[
+            Sets whether the broker should shutdown the ApplicationContext when the broker is stopped.
+The broker can be stopped because the underlying JDBC store is unavailable for example.
+          ]]></xs:documentation>
+        </xs:annotation>
+      </xs:attribute>
       <xs:attribute name='supportFailOver' type='xs:boolean'/>
       <xs:attribute name='systemExitOnShutdown' type='xs:boolean'/>
       <xs:attribute name='systemExitOnShutdownExitCode' type='xs:integer'/>
diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd.html b/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd.html
index 595d886331..7c853ea26c 100644
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd.html
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd.html
@@ -401,6 +401,8 @@ the JDBC and Journal persistence adaptors.</td></tr>
   <tr><td>dedicatedTaskRunner</td><td>xs:boolean</td><td></td></tr>
   <tr><td>deleteAllMessagesOnStartup</td><td>xs:boolean</td><td>Sets whether or not all messages are deleted on startup - mostly only
 useful for testing.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>destroyApplicationContextOnShutdown</td><td>xs:boolean</td><td>	Sets whether the broker should shutdown the ApplicationContext when the broker is stopped.
+The broker can be stopped because the underlying JDBC store is unavailable for example.</td></tr>
   <tr><td>enableStatistics</td><td>xs:boolean</td><td>Sets whether or not the Broker's services enable statistics or not.</td></tr>
   <tr><td>keepDurableSubsActive</td><td>xs:boolean</td><td></td></tr>
   <tr><td>masterConnectorURI</td><td>xs:string</td><td></td></tr>
diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd.wiki b/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd.wiki
index be0add4e41..4452b64bad 100644
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd.wiki
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/resources/activemq.xsd.wiki
@@ -642,6 +642,8 @@ useful for testing.{html} |
     | destinationPolicy | _[org.apache.activemq.broker.region.policy.PolicyMap|#org.apache.activemq.broker.region.policy.PolicyMap-types]_ | {html}Sets the destination specific policies available either for exact
 destinations or for wildcard areas of destinations.{html} |
     | destinations | (_[org.apache.activemq.command.ActiveMQDestination|#org.apache.activemq.command.ActiveMQDestination-types]_)\* | {html}Sets the destinations which should be loaded/created on startup{html} |
+    | destroyApplicationContextOnShutdown | _boolean_ | {html}Sets whether the broker should shutdown the ApplicationContext when the broker is stopped.
+	The broker can be stopped because the underlying JDBC store is unavailable for example.{html} |
     | enableStatistics | _boolean_ | {html}Sets whether or not the Broker's services enable statistics or not.{html} |
     | jmsBridgeConnectors | (_[org.apache.activemq.network.jms.JmsConnector|#org.apache.activemq.network.jms.JmsConnector-types]_)\* | {html}{html} |
     | keepDurableSubsActive | _boolean_ | {html}{html} |