diff --git a/spring-boot-deployment-tests/pom.xml b/spring-boot-deployment-tests/pom.xml
index c673493ccc..f1af1b523f 100644
--- a/spring-boot-deployment-tests/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-boot-deployment-tests/pom.xml
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 	<properties>
 		<main.basedir>${basedir}/..</main.basedir>
 		<java.version>1.7</java.version>
-
 		<cargo.timeout>300000</cargo.timeout>
 		<cargo.container.download-dir>${user.home}/.cargo/installs</cargo.container.download-dir>
 	</properties>
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@
 		<module>spring-boot-deployment-test-tomcat</module>
 		<module>spring-boot-deployment-test-wildfly</module>
 	</modules>
-
 	<build>
 		<pluginManagement>
 			<plugins>
@@ -74,5 +72,4 @@
 			</plugins>
 		</pluginManagement>
 	</build>
-
 </project>
diff --git a/spring-boot-samples/spring-boot-sample-simple/src/main/java/sample/simple/SampleSimpleApplication.java b/spring-boot-samples/spring-boot-sample-simple/src/main/java/sample/simple/SampleSimpleApplication.java
index 71e9ebf196..695d260189 100644
--- a/spring-boot-samples/spring-boot-sample-simple/src/main/java/sample/simple/SampleSimpleApplication.java
+++ b/spring-boot-samples/spring-boot-sample-simple/src/main/java/sample/simple/SampleSimpleApplication.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.boot.CommandLineRunner;
 import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext;
 
 import sample.simple.service.HelloWorldService;
 
@@ -39,6 +40,9 @@ public class SampleSimpleApplication implements CommandLineRunner {
 	}
 
 	public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+		SpringApplication application = new SpringApplication(
+				SampleSimpleApplication.class);
+		application.setApplicationContextClass(AnnotationConfigApplicationContext.class);
 		SpringApplication.run(SampleSimpleApplication.class, args);
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplication.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplication.java
index 8efc0c1021..5725d7c4af 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplication.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplication.java
@@ -226,12 +226,21 @@ public class SpringApplication {
 		if (sources != null && sources.length > 0) {
 			this.sources.addAll(Arrays.asList(sources));
 		}
-		this.webEnvironment = isSpringWebAvailable();
+		this.webEnvironment = deduceWebEnvironment();
 		setInitializers((Collection) getSpringFactoriesInstances(ApplicationContextInitializer.class));
 		setListeners((Collection) getSpringFactoriesInstances(ApplicationListener.class));
 		this.mainApplicationClass = deduceMainApplicationClass();
 	}
 
+	private boolean deduceWebEnvironment() {
+		for (String className : WEB_ENVIRONMENT_CLASSES) {
+			if (!ClassUtils.isPresent(className, null)) {
+				return false;
+			}
+		}
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	private Class<?> deduceMainApplicationClass() {
 		try {
 			StackTraceElement[] stackTrace = new RuntimeException().getStackTrace();
@@ -877,12 +886,20 @@ public class SpringApplication {
 	public void setApplicationContextClass(
 			Class<? extends ConfigurableApplicationContext> applicationContextClass) {
 		this.applicationContextClass = applicationContextClass;
-		if (!isSpringWebAvailable()
-				|| !WebApplicationContext.class.isAssignableFrom(applicationContextClass)) {
+		if (!isWebApplicationContext(applicationContextClass)) {
 			this.webEnvironment = false;
 		}
 	}
 
+	private boolean isWebApplicationContext(Class<?> applicationContextClass) {
+		try {
+			return WebApplicationContext.class.isAssignableFrom(applicationContextClass);
+		}
+		catch (NoClassDefFoundError ex) {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Sets the {@link ApplicationContextInitializer} that will be applied to the Spring
 	 * {@link ApplicationContext}.
@@ -941,15 +958,6 @@ public class SpringApplication {
 		return asUnmodifiableOrderedSet(this.listeners);
 	}
 
-	private boolean isSpringWebAvailable() {
-		for (String className : WEB_ENVIRONMENT_CLASSES) {
-			if (!ClassUtils.isPresent(className, null)) {
-				return false;
-			}
-		}
-		return true;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Static helper that can be used to run a {@link SpringApplication} from the
 	 * specified source using default settings.
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/SpringApplicationContextLoader.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/SpringApplicationContextLoader.java
index d0e3f9e608..e5cd39e0cc 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/SpringApplicationContextLoader.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/SpringApplicationContextLoader.java
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ public class SpringApplicationContextLoader extends AbstractContextLoader {
 			throws Exception {
 		assertValidAnnotations(config.getTestClass());
 		SpringApplication application = getSpringApplication();
+		application.setRegisterShutdownHook(false);
 		application.setMainApplicationClass(config.getTestClass());
 		application.setSources(getSources(config));
 		ConfigurableEnvironment environment = new StandardEnvironment();