diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cfg/Environment.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cfg/Environment.java
index 685c4409f9..b8413c531c 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cfg/Environment.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cfg/Environment.java
@@ -388,6 +388,11 @@ public final class Environment {
 	 * <tt>TransactionManagerLookup</tt> implementor to use for obtaining the <tt>TransactionManager</tt>
 	 */
 	public static final String TRANSACTION_MANAGER_STRATEGY = "hibernate.transaction.manager_lookup_class";
+	/**
+	 * If none is explicitly set, default <tt>TransactionManagerLookup</tt> implementor
+	 * to use for obtaining the <tt>TransactionManager</tt>
+	 */
+	public static final String DEFAULT_TRANSACTION_MANAGER_STRATEGY = "hibernate.transaction.default_manager_lookup_class";
 	/**
 	 * JNDI name of JTA <tt>UserTransaction</tt> object
 	 */
diff --git a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/transaction/TransactionManagerLookupFactory.java b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/transaction/TransactionManagerLookupFactory.java
index 11509cd508..29c8cae86b 100644
--- a/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/transaction/TransactionManagerLookupFactory.java
+++ b/hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/transaction/TransactionManagerLookupFactory.java
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ public final class TransactionManagerLookupFactory {
 	 */
 	public static TransactionManagerLookup getTransactionManagerLookup(Properties props) throws HibernateException {
 		String tmLookupClass = props.getProperty( Environment.TRANSACTION_MANAGER_STRATEGY );
+		if ( tmLookupClass == null ) {
+			tmLookupClass = props.getProperty( Environment.DEFAULT_TRANSACTION_MANAGER_STRATEGY );
+		}
 		if ( tmLookupClass == null ) {
 			log.info( "No TransactionManagerLookup configured (in JTA environment, use of read-write or transactional second-level cache is not recommended)" );
 			return null;