They both are dependencies, just with a little different defaults. Based on the FAQ item I created when I was looking at the difference before, it should be started but not installed: Q8 What is the difference between depends and demand elements? A8: depend is a dependencyItem on the referenced bean reaching its Start state before the dependee will be allowed to reach its Start state. Demand is a dependencyItem on the referenced bean reaching its Installed state before the dependee will be allowed to reach its whenRequired(state attribute of demand) state. This does not say exactly when injection happens though. Ales? View the original post : http://www.jboss.com/index.html?module=bb&op=viewtopic&p=4192584#... Reply to the post : http://www.jboss.com/index.html?module=bb&op=posting&mode=reply&a...