diff --git a/grails-bootstrap/src/main/groovy/grails/util/Environment.java b/grails-bootstrap/src/main/groovy/grails/util/Environment.java
index 95dcfaa8fca..5df8162a68a 100644
--- a/grails-bootstrap/src/main/groovy/grails/util/Environment.java
+++ b/grails-bootstrap/src/main/groovy/grails/util/Environment.java
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ public enum Environment {
         TEST_ENVIRONMENT_SHORT_NAME, Environment.TEST.getName());
     private static Holder<Environment> cachedCurrentEnvironment = new Holder<Environment>("Environment");
     private static final boolean cachedHasGrailsHome = System.getProperty("grails.home") != null;
+    private static boolean initializingState = false;
     private String name;
 
     Environment() {
@@ -400,8 +401,14 @@ public static boolean isInteractiveMode() {
      * @return Whether interactive mode is enabled
      */
     public static boolean isInitializing() {
-        return Boolean.getBoolean(INITIALIZING);
+        return initializingState;
     }
+    
+    public static void setInitializing(boolean initializing) {
+        initializingState=initializing;
+        System.setProperty(INITIALIZING, String.valueOf(initializing));
+    }
+    
     /**
      * @return true if the reloading agent is active
      */
diff --git a/grails-core/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/commons/spring/GrailsRuntimeConfigurator.java b/grails-core/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/commons/spring/GrailsRuntimeConfigurator.java
index ae976ae8bfb..02b1f3483ad 100644
--- a/grails-core/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/commons/spring/GrailsRuntimeConfigurator.java
+++ b/grails-core/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/commons/spring/GrailsRuntimeConfigurator.java
@@ -166,9 +166,9 @@ public WebApplicationContext configure(ServletContext context, boolean loadExter
 
             application.setMainContext(webSpringConfig.getUnrefreshedApplicationContext());
             
-            System.setProperty(Environment.INITIALIZING, "true");
+            Environment.setInitializing(true);
             ctx = (WebApplicationContext) webSpringConfig.getApplicationContext();
-            System.setProperty(Environment.INITIALIZING, "");
+            Environment.setInitializing(false);
 
             pluginManager.setApplicationContext(ctx);
             pluginManager.doDynamicMethods();
diff --git a/grails-core/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/commons/spring/ReloadAwareAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java b/grails-core/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/commons/spring/ReloadAwareAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java
index 4bfd0aad589..e0d5d115985 100644
--- a/grails-core/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/commons/spring/ReloadAwareAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java
+++ b/grails-core/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/commons/spring/ReloadAwareAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java
@@ -182,6 +182,9 @@ protected boolean isExcludedFromDependencyCheck(PropertyDescriptor pd) {
     @Override
     public void autowireBeanProperties(Object existingBean, int autowireMode,
             boolean dependencyCheck) throws BeansException {
+        if(Environment.isInitializing()) {
+            return;
+        }
         if(autowireMode == AUTOWIRE_BY_NAME) {
             if(DISABLE_AUTOWIRE_BY_NAME_OPTIMIZATIONS || dependencyCheck || existingBean instanceof Aware) {
                 super.autowireBeanProperties(existingBean, autowireMode, dependencyCheck);
diff --git a/grails-plugin-domain-class/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/plugins/DomainClassGrailsPlugin.groovy b/grails-plugin-domain-class/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/plugins/DomainClassGrailsPlugin.groovy
index 4e72a94b519..2ddad5a6230 100644
--- a/grails-plugin-domain-class/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/plugins/DomainClassGrailsPlugin.groovy
+++ b/grails-plugin-domain-class/src/main/groovy/org/codehaus/groovy/grails/plugins/DomainClassGrailsPlugin.groovy
@@ -203,9 +203,11 @@ class DomainClassGrailsPlugin {
                         return gormValidationApi
                     }
                 }
+                
+                AutowireCapableBeanFactory autowireCapableBeanFactory=ctx.autowireCapableBeanFactory
+                int byName=AutowireCapableBeanFactory.AUTOWIRE_BY_NAME
                 metaClass.static.autowireDomain = { instance ->
-                    if(!Environment.isInitializing())
-                        ctx.autowireCapableBeanFactory.autowireBeanProperties(instance,AutowireCapableBeanFactory.AUTOWIRE_BY_NAME, false)
+                    autowireCapableBeanFactory.autowireBeanProperties(instance, byName, false)
                 }
             }
         }