--- com/sun/faces/application/InjectionApplicationFactory.java
+++ com/sun/faces/application/InjectionApplicationFactory.java
@@ -142,7 +142,22 @@ public class InjectionApplicationFactory extends ApplicationFactory implements F
                                 .getDeclaredField("defaultApplication");
                     defaultApplicationField.setAccessible(true);
                 }
-                defaultApplicationField.set(application, defaultApplication);
+                Application app = application;
+                do {
+                    defaultApplicationField.set(application, defaultApplication);
+                    boolean found = false;
+                    for (Field field : app.getClass().getDeclaredFields()) {
+                        if (field.getType() == Application.class) {
+                            field.setAccessible(true);
+                            app = (Application) field.get(app);
+                            found = true;
+                            break;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    if (!found) {
+                        app = null;
+                    }
+                } while (app != null);
 
             } catch (NoSuchFieldException nsfe) {
                 if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.FINE)) {