diff --git a/akka-camel/src/main/scala/CamelContextLifecycle.scala b/akka-camel/src/main/scala/CamelContextLifecycle.scala
index b9a696207c..95304b1a6f 100644
--- a/akka-camel/src/main/scala/CamelContextLifecycle.scala
+++ b/akka-camel/src/main/scala/CamelContextLifecycle.scala
@@ -75,10 +75,13 @@ trait CamelContextLifecycle extends Logging {
   def init: Unit = init(new DefaultCamelContext)
 
   /**
-   * Initializes this lifecycle object with the given CamelContext.
+   * Initializes this lifecycle object with the given CamelContext. For the passed
+   * CamelContext stream-caching is enabled. If applications want to disable stream-
+   * caching they can do so after this method returned and prior to calling start.
    */
   def init(context: CamelContext) {
     this.context = context
+    this.context.setStreamCaching(true)
     this.template = context.createProducerTemplate
     _initialized = true
     log.info("Camel context initialized")
diff --git a/akka-camel/src/main/scala/service/CamelService.scala b/akka-camel/src/main/scala/service/CamelService.scala
index 566700a737..80fa603897 100644
--- a/akka-camel/src/main/scala/service/CamelService.scala
+++ b/akka-camel/src/main/scala/service/CamelService.scala
@@ -35,9 +35,6 @@ trait CamelService extends Bootable with Logging {
     if (!initialized) init
     if (!started) start
 
-    // Camel should cache input streams
-    context.setStreamCaching(true)
-
     // start actor that exposes consumer actors via Camel endpoints
     consumerPublisher.start
 
diff --git a/akka-camel/src/test/scala/CamelContextLifecycleTest.scala b/akka-camel/src/test/scala/CamelContextLifecycleTest.scala
index b61db27878..e75329f5e9 100644
--- a/akka-camel/src/test/scala/CamelContextLifecycleTest.scala
+++ b/akka-camel/src/test/scala/CamelContextLifecycleTest.scala
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ class CamelContextLifecycleTest extends JUnitSuite with CamelContextLifecycle {
   @Test def shouldManageCustomCamelContext {
     assert(context === null)
     assert(template === null)
-    init(new TestCamelContext)
+    val ctx = new TestCamelContext
+    assert(ctx.isStreamCaching === false)
+    init(ctx)
+    assert(context.isStreamCaching === true)
     assert(!context.asInstanceOf[TestCamelContext].isStarted)
     assert(!template.asInstanceOf[DefaultProducerTemplate].isStarted)
     start