diff --git a/akka-camel/src/main/scala/Message.scala b/akka-camel/src/main/scala/Message.scala
index 6118a17522..a4231978ec 100644
--- a/akka-camel/src/main/scala/Message.scala
+++ b/akka-camel/src/main/scala/Message.scala
@@ -23,9 +23,21 @@ case class Message(val body: Any, val headers: Map[String, Any] = Map.empty) {
    *
    * @see CamelContextManager.
    */
+  @deprecated("use bodyAs[T](implicit m: Manifest[T]): T instead") 
   def bodyAs[T](clazz: Class[T]): T =
     CamelContextManager.context.getTypeConverter.mandatoryConvertTo[T](clazz, body)
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the body of the message converted to the type <code>T</code>. Conversion is done
+   * using Camel's type converter. The type converter is obtained from the CamelContext managed
+   * by CamelContextManager. Applications have to ensure proper initialization of
+   * CamelContextManager.
+   *
+   * @see CamelContextManager.
+   */
+  def bodyAs[T](implicit m: Manifest[T]): T =
+    CamelContextManager.context.getTypeConverter.mandatoryConvertTo[T](m.erasure.asInstanceOf[Class[T]], body)
+
   /**
    * Returns those headers from this message whose name is contained in <code>names</code>.
    */
@@ -41,8 +53,16 @@ case class Message(val body: Any, val headers: Map[String, Any] = Map.empty) {
    *
    * @see Message#bodyAs(Class)
    */
+  @deprecated("use setBodyAs[T](implicit m: Manifest[T]): Message instead") 
   def setBodyAs[T](clazz: Class[T]): Message = setBody(bodyAs(clazz))
 
+  /**
+   * Creates a Message with a new <code>body</code> converted to type <code>T</code>.
+   *
+   * @see Message#bodyAs(Class)
+   */
+  def setBodyAs[T](implicit m: Manifest[T]): Message = setBody(bodyAs[T])
+
   /**
    * Creates a Message with a new <code>body</code>.
    */
diff --git a/akka-camel/src/test/scala/MessageTest.scala b/akka-camel/src/test/scala/MessageTest.scala
index 797d48ee57..da317be902 100644
--- a/akka-camel/src/test/scala/MessageTest.scala
+++ b/akka-camel/src/test/scala/MessageTest.scala
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@ class MessageTest extends JUnitSuite with BeforeAndAfterAll {
   override protected def beforeAll = CamelContextManager.init
 
   @Test def shouldConvertDoubleBodyToString = {
-    assertEquals("1.4", Message(1.4, null).bodyAs(classOf[String]))
+    assertEquals("1.4", Message(1.4, null).bodyAs[String])
   }
 
   @Test def shouldThrowExceptionWhenConvertingDoubleBodyToInputStream {
     intercept[NoTypeConversionAvailableException] {
-      Message(1.4, null).bodyAs(classOf[InputStream])
+      Message(1.4, null).bodyAs[InputStream]
     }
   }
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class MessageTest extends JUnitSuite with BeforeAndAfterAll {
   @Test def shouldConvertBodyAndPreserveHeaders = {
     assertEquals(
       Message("1.4", Map("A" -> "1")),
-      Message(1.4  , Map("A" -> "1")).setBodyAs(classOf[String]))
+      Message(1.4  , Map("A" -> "1")).setBodyAs[String])
   }
 
   @Test def shouldSetBodyAndPreserveHeaders = {
diff --git a/akka-samples/akka-sample-camel/src/main/scala/Actors.scala b/akka-samples/akka-sample-camel/src/main/scala/Actors.scala
index 11fd9020f9..655adf76a6 100644
--- a/akka-samples/akka-sample-camel/src/main/scala/Actors.scala
+++ b/akka-samples/akka-sample-camel/src/main/scala/Actors.scala
@@ -40,14 +40,14 @@ class Consumer1 extends Actor with Consumer with Logging {
   def endpointUri = "file:data/input"
 
   def receive = {
-    case msg: Message => log.info("received %s" format msg.bodyAs(classOf[String]))
+    case msg: Message => log.info("received %s" format msg.bodyAs[String])
   }
 }
 
 @consume("jetty:http://0.0.0.0:8877/camel/test1")
 class Consumer2 extends Actor {
   def receive = {
-    case msg: Message => reply("Hello %s" format msg.bodyAs(classOf[String]))
+    case msg: Message => reply("Hello %s" format msg.bodyAs[String])
   }
 }
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class Consumer3(transformer: ActorRef) extends Actor with Consumer {
   def endpointUri = "jetty:http://0.0.0.0:8877/camel/welcome"
 
   def receive = {
-    case msg: Message => transformer.forward(msg.setBodyAs(classOf[String]))
+    case msg: Message => transformer.forward(msg.setBodyAs[String])
   }
 }
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class Consumer4 extends Actor with Consumer with Logging {
   def endpointUri = "jetty:http://0.0.0.0:8877/camel/stop"
 
   def receive = {
-    case msg: Message => msg.bodyAs(classOf[String]) match {
+    case msg: Message => msg.bodyAs[String] match {
       case "stop" => {
         reply("Consumer4 stopped")
         stop
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class PublisherBridge(uri: String, publisher: ActorRef) extends Actor with Consu
 
   protected def receive = {
     case msg: Message => {
-      publisher ! msg.bodyAs(classOf[String])
+      publisher ! msg.bodyAs[String]
       reply("message published")
     }
   }