diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/handler/HandlerMethod.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/handler/HandlerMethod.java
index 0fe63a53d229..69a6e0b3577e 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/handler/HandlerMethod.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/handler/HandlerMethod.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2017 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2022 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.
@@ -330,21 +330,21 @@ public HandlerMethodParameter clone() {
 	 */
 	private class ReturnValueMethodParameter extends HandlerMethodParameter {
 
-		private final Object returnValue;
+		private final Class<?> returnValueType;
 
 		public ReturnValueMethodParameter(Object returnValue) {
 			super(-1);
-			this.returnValue = returnValue;
+			this.returnValueType = (returnValue != null ? returnValue.getClass() : null);
 		}
 
 		protected ReturnValueMethodParameter(ReturnValueMethodParameter original) {
 			super(original);
-			this.returnValue = original.returnValue;
+			this.returnValueType = original.returnValueType;
 		}
 
 		@Override
 		public Class<?> getParameterType() {
-			return (this.returnValue != null ? this.returnValue.getClass() : super.getParameterType());
+			return (this.returnValueType != null ? this.returnValueType : super.getParameterType());
 		}
 
 		@Override
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java
index 1a4d507d52ba..a107b9678b49 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2017 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2022 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.
@@ -374,21 +374,21 @@ public HandlerMethodParameter clone() {
 	 */
 	private class ReturnValueMethodParameter extends HandlerMethodParameter {
 
-		private final Object returnValue;
+		private final Class<?> returnValueType;
 
 		public ReturnValueMethodParameter(Object returnValue) {
 			super(-1);
-			this.returnValue = returnValue;
+			this.returnValueType = (returnValue != null ? returnValue.getClass() : null);
 		}
 
 		protected ReturnValueMethodParameter(ReturnValueMethodParameter original) {
 			super(original);
-			this.returnValue = original.returnValue;
+			this.returnValueType = original.returnValueType;
 		}
 
 		@Override
 		public Class<?> getParameterType() {
-			return (this.returnValue != null ? this.returnValue.getClass() : super.getParameterType());
+			return (this.returnValueType != null ? this.returnValueType : super.getParameterType());
 		}
 
 		@Override