diff --git a/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/MockitoPostProcessor.java b/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/MockitoPostProcessor.java
index 6ff5666169..bcfee98d19 100644
--- a/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/MockitoPostProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/MockitoPostProcessor.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2017 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactoryAware;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactoryUtils;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.FactoryBean;
-import org.springframework.beans.factory.NoSuchBeanDefinitionException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.NoUniqueBeanDefinitionException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinition;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanFactoryPostProcessor;
@@ -311,16 +310,9 @@ public class MockitoPostProcessor extends InstantiationAwareBeanPostProcessorAda
 
 	private void registerSpies(BeanDefinitionRegistry registry, SpyDefinition definition,
 			Field field, String[] existingBeans) {
-		ResolvableType type = definition.getTypeToSpy();
 		try {
-			if (ObjectUtils.isEmpty(existingBeans)) {
-				throw new NoSuchBeanDefinitionException(type);
-			}
-			if (existingBeans.length > 1) {
-				existingBeans = new String[] {
-						determinePrimaryCandidate(registry, existingBeans, type) };
-			}
-			registerSpy(definition, field, existingBeans[0]);
+			registerSpy(definition, field,
+					determineBeanName(existingBeans, definition, registry));
 		}
 		catch (RuntimeException ex) {
 			throw new IllegalStateException(
@@ -328,6 +320,18 @@ public class MockitoPostProcessor extends InstantiationAwareBeanPostProcessorAda
 		}
 	}
 
+	private String determineBeanName(String[] existingBeans, SpyDefinition definition,
+			BeanDefinitionRegistry registry) {
+		if (StringUtils.hasText(definition.getName())) {
+			return definition.getName();
+		}
+		if (existingBeans.length == 1) {
+			return existingBeans[0];
+		}
+		return determinePrimaryCandidate(registry, existingBeans,
+				definition.getTypeToSpy());
+	}
+
 	private String determinePrimaryCandidate(BeanDefinitionRegistry registry,
 			String[] candidateBeanNames, ResolvableType type) {
 		String primaryBeanName = null;
diff --git a/spring-boot-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/SpyBeanOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansIntegrationTests.java b/spring-boot-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/SpyBeanOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansWithOnePrimaryIntegrationTests.java
similarity index 90%
rename from spring-boot-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/SpyBeanOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansIntegrationTests.java
rename to spring-boot-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/SpyBeanOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansWithOnePrimaryIntegrationTests.java
index c4880c533d..c6933bd322 100644
--- a/spring-boot-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/SpyBeanOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/SpyBeanOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansWithOnePrimaryIntegrationTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2017 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -33,12 +33,13 @@ import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 
 /**
- * Test {@link SpyBean} on a test class field can be used to inject new spy instances.
+ * Test {@link SpyBean} on a test class field can be used to inject a spy instance when
+ * there are multiple candidates and one is primary.
  *
  * @author Phillip Webb
  */
 @RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
-public class SpyBeanOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansIntegrationTests {
+public class SpyBeanOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansWithOnePrimaryIntegrationTests {
 
 	@SpyBean
 	private SimpleExampleStringGenericService spy;
diff --git a/spring-boot-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/SpyBeanWithNameOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansTests.java b/spring-boot-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/SpyBeanWithNameOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b5437036ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-boot-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/test/mock/mockito/SpyBeanWithNameOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2012-2017 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.boot.test.mock.mockito;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.mockito.internal.util.MockUtil;
+
+import org.springframework.boot.test.mock.mockito.example.SimpleExampleStringGenericService;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringRunner;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+/**
+ * Test {@link SpyBean} on a test class field can be used to inject a spy instance when
+ * there are multiple candidates and one is chosen using the name attribute.
+ *
+ * @author Phillip Webb
+ * @author Andy Wilkinson
+ */
+@RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
+public class SpyBeanWithNameOnTestFieldForMultipleExistingBeansTests {
+
+	@SpyBean(name = "two")
+	private SimpleExampleStringGenericService spy;
+
+	@Test
+	public void testSpying() throws Exception {
+		assertThat(new MockUtil().isSpy(this.spy)).isTrue();
+		assertThat(new MockUtil().getMockName(this.spy).toString()).isEqualTo("two");
+	}
+
+	@Configuration
+	static class Config {
+
+		@Bean
+		public SimpleExampleStringGenericService one() {
+			return new SimpleExampleStringGenericService("one");
+		}
+
+		@Bean
+		public SimpleExampleStringGenericService two() {
+			return new SimpleExampleStringGenericService("two");
+		}
+
+	}
+
+}