diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/service/importer/support/internal/aop/ServiceStaticInterceptor.java b/core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/service/importer/support/internal/aop/ServiceStaticInterceptor.java
index f568e1a..dbaafa1 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/service/importer/support/internal/aop/ServiceStaticInterceptor.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/service/importer/support/internal/aop/ServiceStaticInterceptor.java
@@ -1,21 +1,22 @@
-/******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2006, 2010 VMware Inc.
- * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
- * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
- * and Apache License v2.0 which accompanies this distribution. 
- * The Eclipse Public License is available at 
- * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html and the Apache License v2.0
- * is available at http://www.opensource.org/licenses/apache2.0.php.
- * You may elect to redistribute this code under either of these licenses. 
- * 
- * Contributors:
- *   VMware Inc.
- *****************************************************************************/
+/*
+ Copyright (c) 2006, 2010 VMware Inc.
+ All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
+ are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
+ and Apache License v2.0 which accompanies this distribution.
+ The Eclipse Public License is available at
+ http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html and the Apache License v2.0
+ is available at http://www.opensource.org/licenses/apache2.0.php.
+ You may elect to redistribute this code under either of these licenses.
+
+ Contributors:
+ VMware Inc.
+ */
 
 package org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.service.importer.support.internal.aop;
 
 import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.service.ServiceUnavailableException;
 import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.service.importer.ServiceProxyDestroyedException;
+import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.service.importer.ServiceReferenceProxy;
 import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.service.importer.support.internal.exception.BlueprintExceptionFactory;
 import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.util.OsgiFilterUtils;
 import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@
 	private volatile Object target = null;
 
 	public ServiceStaticInterceptor(BundleContext context, ServiceReference reference) {
-		Assert.notNull(context);
+		Assert.notNull(context, "a not null service bundle context is required");
 		Assert.notNull(reference, "a not null service reference is required");
 		this.bundleContext = context;
 		this.reference = reference;
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@
 			if (target == null) {
 				synchronized (lock) {
 					if (target == null && !destroyed) {
-						target = bundleContext.getService(reference);
+						target = bundleContext.getService(getReferenceForExporeToOSgiFramework());
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -76,6 +77,19 @@
 				: new ServiceUnavailableException(filter));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * The {@link ServiceReference} contract dictates that there must be no client implementation
+	 * of this interface. Consequently, an OSGi framework may always perform unchecked casts to it's
+	 * internal service reference implementation. Thus, the gemini-specific {@link ServiceReferenceProxy}
+	 * must never be exposed to the framework as it cannot be cast to the framework's internal implementation.
+	 */
+	private ServiceReference<?> getReferenceForExporeToOSgiFramework() {
+		if (reference instanceof ServiceReferenceProxy) {
+            return ((ServiceReferenceProxy) reference).getTargetServiceReference();
+        }
+        return reference;
+	}
+
 	public void setUseBlueprintExceptions(boolean useBlueprintExceptions) {
 		this.useBlueprintExceptions = useBlueprintExceptions;
 	}
@@ -90,7 +104,7 @@
 			destroyed = true;
 		}
 		try {
-			bundleContext.ungetService(reference);
+			bundleContext.ungetService(getReferenceForExporeToOSgiFramework());
 		} catch (IllegalStateException ex) {
 			// in case the context is not valid anymore
 		}
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/blueprint/ReferenceDelegateFactory.java b/core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/blueprint/ReferenceDelegateFactory.java
index 5057ebb..3fff392 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/blueprint/ReferenceDelegateFactory.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/blueprint/ReferenceDelegateFactory.java
@@ -14,12 +14,11 @@
 
 package org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.blueprint;
 
+import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.mock.MockServiceReference;
 import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.service.importer.ImportedOsgiServiceProxy;
-import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.service.importer.ServiceReferenceProxy;
 import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.service.importer.support.internal.aop.StaticServiceReferenceProxy;
 import org.osgi.framework.ServiceReference;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.FactoryBean;
-import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.mock.MockServiceReference;
 
 /**
  * @author Costin Leau
@@ -29,19 +28,12 @@
 	private final ServiceReference ref;
 
 
-	public ReferenceDelegateFactory() throws Exception {
+	public ReferenceDelegateFactory() {
 		ref = new MockServiceReference();
 	}
 
-	public Object getObject() throws Exception {
-		ImportedOsgiServiceProxy mockProxy = new ImportedOsgiServiceProxy() {
-
-			public ServiceReferenceProxy getServiceReference() {
-				return new StaticServiceReferenceProxy(ref);
-			}
-		};
-
-		return mockProxy;
+	public Object getObject() {
+		return (ImportedOsgiServiceProxy) () -> new StaticServiceReferenceProxy(ref);
 	}
 
 	public Class getObjectType() {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/service/importer/support/internal/aop/PublicStaticSwappingServiceReferenceProxy.java b/core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/service/importer/support/internal/aop/PublicStaticSwappingServiceReferenceProxy.java
deleted file mode 100644
index a5e1b73..0000000
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/gemini/blueprint/service/importer/support/internal/aop/PublicStaticSwappingServiceReferenceProxy.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-/******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2006, 2010 VMware Inc.
- * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
- * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
- * and Apache License v2.0 which accompanies this distribution. 
- * The Eclipse Public License is available at 
- * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html and the Apache License v2.0
- * is available at http://www.opensource.org/licenses/apache2.0.php.
- * You may elect to redistribute this code under either of these licenses. 
- * 
- * Contributors:
- *   VMware Inc.
- *****************************************************************************/
-
-package org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.service.importer.support.internal.aop;
-
-import org.eclipse.gemini.blueprint.service.importer.support.internal.aop.StaticServiceReferenceProxy;
-import org.osgi.framework.ServiceReference;
-
-/**
- * @author Costin Leau
- */
-public class PublicStaticSwappingServiceReferenceProxy extends StaticServiceReferenceProxy {
-
-	/**
-	 * Constructs a new <code>PublicStaticSwappingServiceReferenceProxy</code>
-	 * instance.
-	 * 
-	 * @param target
-	 */
-	public PublicStaticSwappingServiceReferenceProxy(ServiceReference target) {
-		super(target);
-	}
-
-}