diff --git a/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitRunner.java b/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitRunner.java
index 6d7ebed1..577218f5 100644
--- a/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitRunner.java
+++ b/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitRunner.java
@@ -138,7 +138,13 @@ private void verifyExpected(DbUnitTestContext testContext, DatabaseConnections c
 			if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
 				logger.debug("Veriftying @DatabaseTest expectation using " + annotation.value());
 			}
-			DatabaseAssertion assertion = annotation.assertionMode().getDatabaseAssertion();
+
+			DatabaseAssertion assertion;
+			if (StringUtils.hasLength(annotation.assertionBean())) {
+				assertion = testContext.getDatabaseAssertion(annotation.assertionBean());
+			} else {
+				assertion = annotation.assertionMode().getDatabaseAssertion();
+			}
 			List<IColumnFilter> columnFilters = getColumnFilters(annotation);
 			if (StringUtils.hasLength(query)) {
 				Assert.hasLength(table, "The table name must be specified when using a SQL query");
diff --git a/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitTestContext.java b/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitTestContext.java
index fca0e15f..92462381 100644
--- a/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitTestContext.java
+++ b/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitTestContext.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 
+import com.github.springtestdbunit.assertion.DatabaseAssertion;
 import org.dbunit.database.IDatabaseConnection;
 import org.dbunit.dataset.IDataSet;
 
@@ -49,6 +50,13 @@ public interface DbUnitTestContext {
 	 */
 	DatabaseOperationLookup getDatbaseOperationLookup();
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns the {@link DatabaseAssertion} implemented by the bean with the given name.
+	 * @param databaseAssertionBeanName  name of the database assertion bean
+	 * @return  database assertion
+	 */
+	DatabaseAssertion getDatabaseAssertion(String databaseAssertionBeanName);
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns the class that is under test.
 	 * @return The class under test
diff --git a/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitTestExecutionListener.java b/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitTestExecutionListener.java
index 185974cf..cac49ba6 100644
--- a/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitTestExecutionListener.java
+++ b/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/DbUnitTestExecutionListener.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 import javax.sql.DataSource;
 
+import com.github.springtestdbunit.assertion.DatabaseAssertion;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.dbunit.database.IDatabaseConnection;
@@ -236,6 +237,10 @@ public DatabaseOperationLookup getDatbaseOperationLookup() {
 			return (DatabaseOperationLookup) getAttribute(DATABASE_OPERATION_LOOKUP_ATTRIBUTE);
 		}
 
+		public DatabaseAssertion getDatabaseAssertion(String databaseAssertionBeanName) {
+			return testContext.getApplicationContext().getBean(databaseAssertionBeanName, DatabaseAssertion.class);
+		}
+
 		public Class<?> getTestClass() {
 			return (Class<?>) ReflectionUtils.invokeMethod(GET_TEST_CLASS, this.testContext);
 		}
diff --git a/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/annotation/ExpectedDatabase.java b/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/annotation/ExpectedDatabase.java
index 14811fce..08563d10 100644
--- a/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/annotation/ExpectedDatabase.java
+++ b/spring-test-dbunit/src/main/java/com/github/springtestdbunit/annotation/ExpectedDatabase.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
 import java.lang.annotation.Target;
 
+import com.github.springtestdbunit.assertion.DatabaseAssertion;
 import org.dbunit.dataset.IDataSet;
 import org.dbunit.dataset.filter.IColumnFilter;
 
@@ -66,6 +67,14 @@
 	 */
 	DatabaseAssertionMode assertionMode() default DatabaseAssertionMode.DEFAULT;
 
+	/**
+	 * The name of the database assertion bean to use for comparing datasets.
+	 * This bean must implement the {@link DatabaseAssertion} interface.
+	 * If defined, this supersedes the {@link ExpectedDatabase#assertionMode()} element.
+	 * @return Database assertion bean to use
+	 */
+	String assertionBean() default "";
+
 	/**
 	 * Optional table name that can be used to limit the comparison to a specific table.
 	 * @return the table name