diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/server/reactive/AbstractListenerReadPublisher.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/server/reactive/AbstractListenerReadPublisher.java
index 0845a9f25f04..de1f3ca5a600 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/server/reactive/AbstractListenerReadPublisher.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/server/reactive/AbstractListenerReadPublisher.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2021 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.
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 import org.reactivestreams.Subscription;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Operators;
 
+import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBuffer;
+import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DefaultDataBufferFactory;
 import org.springframework.core.log.LogDelegateFactory;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
@@ -56,6 +58,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractListenerReadPublisher<T> implements Publisher<T> {
 	 */
 	protected static Log rsReadLogger = LogDelegateFactory.getHiddenLog(AbstractListenerReadPublisher.class);
 
+	final static DataBuffer EMPTY_BUFFER = DefaultDataBufferFactory.sharedInstance.allocateBuffer(0);
+
 
 	private final AtomicReference<State> state = new AtomicReference<>(State.UNSUBSCRIBED);
 
@@ -180,7 +184,7 @@ public final void onError(Throwable ex) {
 
 	/**
 	 * Read and publish data one at a time until there is no more data, no more
-	 * demand, or perhaps we completed in the mean time.
+	 * demand, or perhaps we completed meanwhile.
 	 * @return {@code true} if there is more demand; {@code false} if there is
 	 * no more demand or we have completed.
 	 */
@@ -188,7 +192,12 @@ private boolean readAndPublish() throws IOException {
 		long r;
 		while ((r = this.demand) > 0 && (this.state.get() != State.COMPLETED)) {
 			T data = read();
-			if (data != null) {
+			if (data == EMPTY_BUFFER) {
+				if (rsReadLogger.isTraceEnabled()) {
+					rsReadLogger.trace(getLogPrefix() + "0 bytes read, trying again");
+				}
+			}
+			else if (data != null) {
 				if (r != Long.MAX_VALUE) {
 					DEMAND_FIELD_UPDATER.addAndGet(this, -1L);
 				}
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/server/reactive/ServletServerHttpRequest.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/server/reactive/ServletServerHttpRequest.java
index a84ddc6d6e3d..7183234e1d4a 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/server/reactive/ServletServerHttpRequest.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/server/reactive/ServletServerHttpRequest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2021 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.
@@ -236,10 +236,10 @@ AsyncListener getAsyncListener() {
 	/**
 	 * Read from the request body InputStream and return a DataBuffer.
 	 * Invoked only when {@link ServletInputStream#isReady()} returns "true".
-	 * @return a DataBuffer with data read, or {@link #EOF_BUFFER} if the input
-	 * stream returned -1, or null if 0 bytes were read.
+	 * @return a DataBuffer with data read, or
+	 * {@link AbstractListenerReadPublisher#EMPTY_BUFFER} if 0 bytes were read,
+	 * or {@link #EOF_BUFFER} if the input stream returned -1.
 	 */
-	@Nullable
 	DataBuffer readFromInputStream() throws IOException {
 		int read = this.request.getInputStream().read(this.buffer);
 		logBytesRead(read);
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ DataBuffer readFromInputStream() throws IOException {
 			return EOF_BUFFER;
 		}
 
-		return null;
+		return AbstractListenerReadPublisher.EMPTY_BUFFER;
 	}
 
 	protected final void logBytesRead(int read) {