diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php
index 45c6f2cf67..e57d410034 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php
@@ -710,6 +710,22 @@ class ContainerBuilder extends Container implements TaggedContainerInterface
         return $this->setDefinition($id, new Definition($class));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Registers an autowired service definition.
+     *
+     * This method implements a shortcut for using setDefinition() with
+     * an autowired definition.
+     *
+     * @param string      $id    The service identifier
+     * @param null|string $class The service class
+     *
+     * @return Definition The created definition
+     */
+    public function autowire($id, $class = null)
+    {
+        return $this->setDefinition($id, (new Definition($class))->setAutowired(true));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Adds the service definitions.
      *
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/ContainerBuilderTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/ContainerBuilderTest.php
index 9ba5a36c4d..3808e990e2 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/ContainerBuilderTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/ContainerBuilderTest.php
@@ -82,6 +82,15 @@ class ContainerBuilderTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertInstanceOf('Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Definition', $builder->getDefinition('foo'), '->register() returns the newly created Definition instance');
     }
 
+    public function testAutowire()
+    {
+        $builder = new ContainerBuilder();
+        $builder->autowire('foo', 'Bar\FooClass');
+
+        $this->assertTrue($builder->hasDefinition('foo'), '->autowire() registers a new service definition');
+        $this->assertTrue($builder->getDefinition('foo')->isAutowired(), '->autowire() creates autowired definitions');
+    }
+
     public function testHas()
     {
         $builder = new ContainerBuilder();