diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java
index 8250a3dacdda717f982715e890e5421085b1ad13..237385466876d3f8c1d2f7106f4d100f0f7d0533 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2013 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.
@@ -240,52 +240,68 @@ public abstract class AnnotationUtils {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Find a single {@link Annotation} of {@code annotationType} from the supplied
-	 * {@link Class}, traversing its annotations, interfaces, and superclasses if
-	 * no annotation can be found on the given class itself.
+	 * Find a single {@link Annotation} of {@code annotationType} on the
+	 * supplied {@link Class}, traversing its interfaces, annotations, and
+	 * superclasses if the annotation is not <em>present</em> on the given class
+	 * itself.
 	 * <p>This method explicitly handles class-level annotations which are not
-	 * declared as {@link java.lang.annotation.Inherited inherited} <i>as well
-	 * as meta-annotations and annotations on interfaces</i>.
+	 * declared as {@link java.lang.annotation.Inherited inherited} <em>as well
+	 * as meta-annotations and annotations on interfaces</em>.
 	 * <p>The algorithm operates as follows:
 	 * <ol>
-	 * <li>Search for an annotation on the given class and return it if found.
-	 * <li>Recursively search through all interfaces that the given class
-	 * declares, returning the annotation from the first matching candidate, if any.
-	 * <li>Recursively search through all annotations that the given class
-	 * declares, returning the annotation from the first matching candidate, if any.
-	 * <li>Proceed with introspection of the superclass hierarchy of the given
-	 * class by returning to step #1 with the superclass as the class to look for
-	 * annotations on.
+	 * <li>Search for the annotation on the given class and return it if found.
+	 * <li>Recursively search through all interfaces that the given class declares.
+	 * <li>Recursively search through all annotations that the given class declares.
+	 * <li>Recursively search through the superclass hierarchy of the given class.
 	 * </ol>
+	 * <p>Note: in this context, the term <em>recursively</em> means that the search
+	 * process continues by returning to step #1 with the current interface,
+	 * annotation, or superclass as the class to look for annotations on.
 	 * @param clazz the class to look for annotations on
-	 * @param annotationType the annotation class to look for
-	 * @return the annotation found, or {@code null} if none found
+	 * @param annotationType the type of annotation to look for
+	 * @return the annotation if found, or {@code null} if not found
 	 */
 	public static <A extends Annotation> A findAnnotation(Class<?> clazz, Class<A> annotationType) {
+		return findAnnotation(clazz, annotationType, new HashSet<Annotation>());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Perform the search algorithm for {@link #findAnnotation(Class, Class)},
+	 * avoiding endless recursion by tracking which annotations have already
+	 * been visited.
+	 * @param clazz the class to look for annotations on
+	 * @param annotationType the type of annotation to look for
+	 * @param visitedAnnotations the set of annotations that have already been visited
+	 * @return the annotation if found, or {@code null} if not found
+	 */
+	private static <A extends Annotation> A findAnnotation(Class<?> clazz, Class<A> annotationType,
+			Set<Annotation> visitedAnnotations) {
 		Assert.notNull(clazz, "Class must not be null");
+
 		A annotation = clazz.getAnnotation(annotationType);
 		if (annotation != null) {
 			return annotation;
 		}
 		for (Class<?> ifc : clazz.getInterfaces()) {
-			annotation = findAnnotation(ifc, annotationType);
+			annotation = findAnnotation(ifc, annotationType, visitedAnnotations);
 			if (annotation != null) {
 				return annotation;
 			}
 		}
-		if (!Annotation.class.isAssignableFrom(clazz)) {
-			for (Annotation ann : clazz.getAnnotations()) {
-				annotation = findAnnotation(ann.annotationType(), annotationType);
+		for (Annotation ann : clazz.getAnnotations()) {
+			if (!visitedAnnotations.contains(ann)) {
+				visitedAnnotations.add(ann);
+				annotation = findAnnotation(ann.annotationType(), annotationType, visitedAnnotations);
 				if (annotation != null) {
 					return annotation;
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		Class<?> superClass = clazz.getSuperclass();
-		if (superClass == null || superClass.equals(Object.class)) {
+		Class<?> superclass = clazz.getSuperclass();
+		if (superclass == null || superclass.equals(Object.class)) {
 			return null;
 		}
-		return findAnnotation(superClass, annotationType);
+		return findAnnotation(superclass, annotationType, visitedAnnotations);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtilsTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtilsTests.java
index aa74fb54bfdb708852cd9989f48672e661537f40..4623f648624f20423698440ccd7e48212cc0078d 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtilsTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtilsTests.java
@@ -111,6 +111,33 @@ public class AnnotationUtilsTests {
 		assertEquals("meta1", component.value());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void findAnnotationOnMetaMetaAnnotatedClass() {
+		Component component = AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(MetaMetaAnnotatedClass.class, Component.class);
+		assertNotNull("Should find meta-annotation on composed annotation on class", component);
+		assertEquals("meta2", component.value());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void findAnnotationOnMetaMetaMetaAnnotatedClass() {
+		Component component = AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(MetaMetaMetaAnnotatedClass.class, Component.class);
+		assertNotNull("Should find meta-annotation on meta-annotation on composed annotation on class", component);
+		assertEquals("meta2", component.value());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void findAnnotationOnAnnotatedClassWithMissingTargetMetaAnnotation() {
+		// TransactionalClass is NOT annotated or meta-annotated with @Component
+		Component component = AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(TransactionalClass.class, Component.class);
+		assertNull("Should not find @Component on TransactionalClass", component);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void findAnnotationOnMetaCycleAnnotatedClassWithMissingTargetMetaAnnotation() {
+		Component component = AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(MetaCycleAnnotatedClass.class, Component.class);
+		assertNull("Should not find @Component on MetaCycleAnnotatedClass", component);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testFindAnnotationDeclaringClass() throws Exception {
 		// no class-level annotation
@@ -335,6 +362,31 @@ public class AnnotationUtilsTests {
 	@interface Meta2 {
 	}
 
+	@Meta2
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@interface MetaMeta {
+	}
+
+	@MetaMeta
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@interface MetaMetaMeta {
+	}
+
+	@MetaCycle3
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@interface MetaCycle1 {
+	}
+
+	@MetaCycle1
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@interface MetaCycle2 {
+	}
+
+	@MetaCycle2
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@interface MetaCycle3 {
+	}
+
 	@Meta1
 	static interface InterfaceWithMetaAnnotation {
 	}
@@ -343,6 +395,17 @@ public class AnnotationUtilsTests {
 	static class ClassWithLocalMetaAnnotationAndMetaAnnotatedInterface implements InterfaceWithMetaAnnotation {
 	}
 
+	@MetaMeta
+	static class MetaMetaAnnotatedClass {
+	}
+
+	@MetaMetaMeta
+	static class MetaMetaMetaAnnotatedClass {
+	}
+
+	@MetaCycle3
+	static class MetaCycleAnnotatedClass {
+	}
 
 	public static interface AnnotatedInterface {