diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cache/ehcache/EhCacheCache.java b/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cache/ehcache/EhCacheCache.java
index 37c2c3fd9deaf674cc9265eac05767ce1fbb5a15..43e7bf15f3b8840fb816027cc73f943bf54b0391 100644
--- a/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cache/ehcache/EhCacheCache.java
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/cache/ehcache/EhCacheCache.java
@@ -58,10 +58,14 @@ public class EhCacheCache implements Cache<Object, Object> {
 	}
 
 	public boolean containsKey(Object key) {
-		return cache.isKeyInCache(key);
+		// get the element to force the expiry check (since #isKeyInCache does not considers that)
+		Element element = cache.getQuiet(key);
+		return (element != null ? true : false);
 	}
 
 	public boolean containsValue(Object value) {
+		// force expiry check to guarantee a valid result (otherwise expired elements are considered)
+		cache.evictExpiredElements();
 		return cache.isValueInCache(value);
 	}
 
@@ -77,11 +81,8 @@ public class EhCacheCache implements Cache<Object, Object> {
 	}
 
 	public Object remove(Object key) {
-		Object value = null;
-		if (cache.isKeyInCache(key)) {
-			Element element = cache.getQuiet(key);
-			value = (element != null ? element.getObjectValue() : null);
-		}
+		Element element = cache.getQuiet(key);
+		Object value = (element != null ? element.getObjectValue() : null);
 		cache.remove(key);
 		return value;
 	}
diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/cache/ehcache/EhCacheCacheTest.java b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/cache/ehcache/EhCacheCacheTest.java
index 2d5b70b7e361e8d5be42c0ab73c75a698e283224..aaa231d93ed4f70069e0db55228e6ab9ff82bbcd 100644
--- a/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/cache/ehcache/EhCacheCacheTest.java
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/cache/ehcache/EhCacheCacheTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2010 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2010-2011 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.
@@ -16,8 +16,11 @@
 
 package org.springframework.cache.ehcache;
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 import net.sf.ehcache.Ehcache;
+import net.sf.ehcache.Element;
 
+import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.cache.Cache;
 import org.springframework.cache.vendor.AbstractNativeCacheTest;
 
@@ -41,4 +44,21 @@ public class EhCacheCacheTest extends AbstractNativeCacheTest<Ehcache> {
 	protected Cache createCache(Ehcache nativeCache) {
 		return new EhCacheCache(nativeCache);
 	}
-}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testExpiredElements() throws Exception {
+		String key = "brancusi";
+		String value = "constantin";
+		Element brancusi = new Element(key, value);
+		// ttl = 10s
+		brancusi.setTimeToLive(3);
+		nativeCache.put(brancusi);
+
+		assertTrue(cache.containsKey(key));
+		assertEquals(value, cache.get(key));
+		// wait for the entry to expire
+		Thread.sleep(5 * 1000);
+		assertFalse("expired entry returned", cache.containsKey(key));
+		assertNull(cache.get(key));
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/cache/vendor/AbstractNativeCacheTest.java b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/cache/vendor/AbstractNativeCacheTest.java
index 5fd03f6a57b3e3d1320a8c12d6202662adff150f..b30e2c30e0ce8ee1764adec842d1128f2887d698 100644
--- a/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/cache/vendor/AbstractNativeCacheTest.java
+++ b/org.springframework.context/src/test/java/org/springframework/cache/vendor/AbstractNativeCacheTest.java
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@
 
 package org.springframework.cache.vendor;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertSame;
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -31,8 +29,8 @@ import org.springframework.cache.Cache;
  */
 public abstract class AbstractNativeCacheTest<T> {
 
-	private T nativeCache;
-	private Cache cache;
+	protected T nativeCache;
+	protected Cache cache;
 	protected final static String CACHE_NAME = "testCache";
 
 	@Before