diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/util/UrlPathHelper.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/util/UrlPathHelper.java
index 575f822f957f..663dbb7566c4 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/util/UrlPathHelper.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/util/UrlPathHelper.java
@@ -147,7 +147,6 @@ public void setRemoveSemicolonContent(boolean removeSemicolonContent) {
 	 * Whether configured to remove ";" (semicolon) content from the request URI.
 	 */
 	public boolean shouldRemoveSemicolonContent() {
-		checkReadOnly();
 		return this.removeSemicolonContent;
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/util/UrlPathHelperTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/util/UrlPathHelperTests.java
index 0aea5a0b51d9..1b2921205f51 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/util/UrlPathHelperTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/util/UrlPathHelperTests.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import org.springframework.web.testfixture.servlet.MockHttpServletRequest;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatCode;
 
 /**
  * Unit tests for {@link UrlPathHelper}.
@@ -165,6 +166,11 @@ public void getLookupPathWithSemicolonContentAndNullPathInfo() {
 		assertThat(helper.getLookupPathForRequest(request)).isEqualTo("/welcome.html;c=d");
 	}
 
+	@Test // gh-27303
+	public void shouldRemoveSemicolonContentWithReadOnlyInstance() {
+		assertThatCode(UrlPathHelper.defaultInstance::shouldRemoveSemicolonContent).doesNotThrowAnyException();
+	}
+
 
 	//
 	// suite of tests root requests for default servlets (SRV 11.2) on Websphere vs Tomcat and other containers