diff --git a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/DefaultMockMvcBuilder.java b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/DefaultMockMvcBuilder.java
index f123b8311ad9..455b53a36abf 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/DefaultMockMvcBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/DefaultMockMvcBuilder.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 package org.springframework.test.web.servlet.setup;
 
+import javax.servlet.ServletContext;
+
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.web.context.WebApplicationContext;
 
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@
  *
  * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
  * @author Rob Winch
+ * @author Sebastien Deleuze
  * @since 3.2
  */
 public class DefaultMockMvcBuilder extends AbstractMockMvcBuilder<DefaultMockMvcBuilder> {
@@ -45,6 +48,8 @@ protected DefaultMockMvcBuilder(WebApplicationContext webAppContext) {
 
 	@Override
 	protected WebApplicationContext initWebAppContext() {
+		ServletContext servletContext = this.webAppContext.getServletContext();
+		servletContext.setAttribute(WebApplicationContext.ROOT_WEB_APPLICATION_CONTEXT_ATTRIBUTE, this.webAppContext);
 		return this.webAppContext;
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/DefaultMockMvcBuilderTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/DefaultMockMvcBuilderTests.java
index 61824d6bd59c..c08c0a4c0c84 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/DefaultMockMvcBuilderTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/DefaultMockMvcBuilderTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2012 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2014 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
  * the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
@@ -19,17 +19,21 @@
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import org.springframework.mock.web.MockServletContext;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
+import org.springframework.web.context.support.WebApplicationContextUtils;
 import org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter;
 
 /**
  * Tests for {@link DefaultMockMvcBuilder}.
  *
  * @author Rob Winch
+ * @author Sebastien Deleuze
  */
 public class DefaultMockMvcBuilderTests {
 
@@ -60,6 +64,15 @@ public void addFilterPatternContainsNull() {
 		builder.addFilter(new ContinueFilter(), (String) null);
 	}
 
+	@Test // SPR-12553
+	public void applicationContextAttribute() {
+		MockServletContext servletContext = new MockServletContext();
+		StubWebApplicationContext wac = new StubWebApplicationContext(servletContext);
+		DefaultMockMvcBuilder builder = MockMvcBuilders.webAppContextSetup(wac);
+		assertEquals(builder.initWebAppContext(), WebApplicationContextUtils
+				.getRequiredWebApplicationContext(servletContext));
+	}
+
 
 	@Controller
 	private static class PersonController {
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/StandaloneMockMvcBuilderTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/StandaloneMockMvcBuilderTests.java
index 1a6ebb562929..c0e18d3ab1d6 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/StandaloneMockMvcBuilderTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/setup/StandaloneMockMvcBuilderTests.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
 import org.springframework.web.context.WebApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.web.context.support.WebApplicationContextUtils;
 import org.springframework.web.method.HandlerMethod;
 import org.springframework.web.servlet.HandlerExecutionChain;
 import org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerMapping;
@@ -52,6 +53,16 @@ public void placeHoldersInRequestMapping() throws Exception {
 		assertEquals("handleWithPlaceholders", ((HandlerMethod) chain.getHandler()).getMethod().getName());
 	}
 
+	@Test // SPR-12553
+	public void applicationContextAttribute() {
+		TestStandaloneMockMvcBuilder builder = new TestStandaloneMockMvcBuilder(new PlaceholderController());
+		builder.addPlaceHolderValue("sys.login.ajax", "/foo");
+		WebApplicationContext  wac = builder.initWebAppContext();
+		assertEquals(wac, WebApplicationContextUtils
+				.getRequiredWebApplicationContext(wac.getServletContext()));
+	}
+
+
 
 	@Controller
 	private static class PlaceholderController {