diff --git a/extensions/spring-xd-extension-mail/src/main/java/org/springframework/xd/mail/MailSourceOptionsMetadata.java b/extensions/spring-xd-extension-mail/src/main/java/org/springframework/xd/mail/MailSourceOptionsMetadata.java
index e11a9f152..3d3d343b1 100644
--- a/extensions/spring-xd-extension-mail/src/main/java/org/springframework/xd/mail/MailSourceOptionsMetadata.java
+++ b/extensions/spring-xd-extension-mail/src/main/java/org/springframework/xd/mail/MailSourceOptionsMetadata.java
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ public class MailSourceOptionsMetadata implements ProfileNamesProvider {
 
 	private String propertiesFile = null;
 
+	private boolean useRawMime = false;
+    
 	private static final String IMAPS_PROPERTIES = "mail.imap.socketFactory.class=javax.net.ssl.SSLSocketFactory," +
 			"mail.imap.socketFactory.fallback=false," +
 			"mail.store.protocol=imaps";
@@ -133,6 +135,10 @@ public boolean isUsePolling() {
 		return usePolling;
 	}
 
+        public boolean isUseRawMime() {
+		return useRawMime;
+	}
+
 	@ModuleOption("comma separated JavaMail property values")
 	public void setProperties(String properties) {
 		this.properties = properties;
@@ -157,7 +163,12 @@ public String getDefaultProperties() {
 
 	@Override
 	public String[] profilesToActivate() {
-		return (usePolling) ? new String[] {"use-polling"} : new String[] {"use-idle"};
+	     String [] profilesToActivate =
+		 {
+		     (useRawMime) ? "raw-mime":"body-as-string",
+		     (usePolling) ? "use-polling":"use-idle"
+		 };
+	     return profilesToActivate;
 	}
 
 	@ModuleOption("the polling interval used for looking up messages (s)")
@@ -178,6 +189,11 @@ public void setUsePolling(boolean usePolling) {
 		this.usePolling = usePolling;
 	}
 
+    	@ModuleOption("whether to pass MimeMessage as is or body of the message converted to string")
+	public void setUseRawMime(boolean useRawMime) {
+		this.useRawMime = useRawMime;
+	}
+    
 	@AssertTrue(message = "usePolling=false is only supported with imap(s)")
 	private boolean isUsePollingValid() {
 		if (!usePolling) {
diff --git a/modules/source/mail/config/mail.xml b/modules/source/mail/config/mail.xml
index 8ba19c2af..375ae21a8 100644
--- a/modules/source/mail/config/mail.xml
+++ b/modules/source/mail/config/mail.xml
@@ -9,10 +9,17 @@
 
 	<channel id="output" />
 
+	<beans:beans profile="body-as-string">
+	  <int-mail:mail-to-string-transformer
+	      charset="${charset}" input-channel="transform" output-channel="output" />
+	</beans:beans>
 
-	<int-mail:mail-to-string-transformer
-		charset="${charset}" input-channel="transform" output-channel="output" />
 
+	<beans:beans profile="raw-mime">
+	  <bridge input-channel="transform" output-channel="output" />
+	</beans:beans>
+	
+	
 	<beans:beans profile="use-polling">
 		<int-mail:inbound-channel-adapter
 			store-uri="${protocol}://${username:}:${password:}@${host}:${port}/${folder}"
diff --git a/src/docs/asciidoc/Sources.asciidoc b/src/docs/asciidoc/Sources.asciidoc
index 210e222da..754717144 100644
--- a/src/docs/asciidoc/Sources.asciidoc
+++ b/src/docs/asciidoc/Sources.asciidoc
@@ -547,6 +547,7 @@ $$properties$$:: $$comma separated JavaMail property values$$ *($$String$$, no d
 $$propertiesFile$$:: $$file to load the JavaMail properties$$ *($$String$$, no default)*
 $$protocol$$:: $$the protocol to use to retrieve messages$$ *($$MailProtocol$$, default: `imap`, possible values: `imap,imaps,pop3,pop3s`)*
 $$usePolling$$:: $$whether to use polling or not (no polling works with imap(s) only)$$ *($$boolean$$, default: `false`)*
+$$useRawMime$$:: $$whether to pass MimeMessage as is or body of the message converted to string$$ *($$boolean$$, default: `false`)*
 $$username$$:: $$the username to use to connect to the mail server$$ *($$String$$, no default)*
 //$source.mail