diff --git a/openbis_standard_technologies/source/java/standard-technologies-applicationContext.xml b/openbis_standard_technologies/source/java/standard-technologies-applicationContext.xml
index 524257a13799a3d601eebb34b5deef5cc39253e4..bb2803b685ad4308e0a1ec5cd13613e5dfe2d0a7 100644
--- a/openbis_standard_technologies/source/java/standard-technologies-applicationContext.xml
+++ b/openbis_standard_technologies/source/java/standard-technologies-applicationContext.xml
@@ -11,8 +11,16 @@
             http://www.springframework.org/schema/context/spring-context-2.5.xsd
 ">
 
-    <import resource="genericCommonContext.xml"/>
-    <import resource="genericApplicationContext.xml"/>
+    <!--
+        // Replaces ${...} with corresponding values found in 'location' property. A value
+        // can be overridden by setting a corresponding system property.
+    -->
+    <bean id="propertyConfigurer"
+        class="ch.systemsx.cisd.common.spring.ExposablePropertyPlaceholderConfigurer">
+        <property name="location" value="classpath:service.properties" />
+        <property name="systemPropertiesModeName" value="SYSTEM_PROPERTIES_MODE_OVERRIDE" />
+        <property name="ignoreUnresolvablePlaceholders" value="true" />
+    </bean>
 
     <bean name="bootstrap" class="ch.systemsx.cisd.common.spring.Bootstrapper">
         <property name="configLocation" value="classpath:applicationContext.xml" />
@@ -23,8 +31,4 @@
         </list>
         </property>
     </bean>
-    
-    <plugins:component-scan base-package="ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis" annotation-config="false">
-        <plugins:exclude-filter type="annotation" expression="org.springframework.stereotype.Controller" />
-    </plugins:component-scan>
 </beans>
\ No newline at end of file