diff --git a/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java b/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java
index 367e5b843d9..226cbd34464 100644
--- a/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java
+++ b/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java
@@ -348,8 +348,9 @@ public class AntPathMatcher implements PathMatcher {
 			}
 		}
 		else {
-			int idx = pattern1.indexOf("*.");
+			int idx = pattern1.indexOf(".");
 			if (idx == -1) {
+				// all other cases: simply concatenate the two patterns
 				if (pattern1.endsWith("/") || pattern2.startsWith("/")) {
 					return pattern1 + pattern2;
 				}
@@ -359,8 +360,7 @@ public class AntPathMatcher implements PathMatcher {
 			}
 			else {
 				// /*.html + /hotels.html -> /hotels.html
-				String extension = pattern1.substring(idx + 1);
-				if (pattern2.endsWith(extension)) {
+				if (match(pattern1, pattern2)) {
 					return pattern2;
 				}
 				else {
diff --git a/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java b/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java
index a14fe6c3882..40797265f8d 100644
--- a/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java
@@ -351,15 +351,22 @@ public class AntPathMatcherTests {
 		assertEquals("/hotels/*/booking/{booking}", pathMatcher.combine("/hotels/*/booking", "{booking}"));
 		assertEquals("/hotel.html", pathMatcher.combine("/*.html", "/hotel.html"));
 		try {
-			pathMatcher.combine("/*.html", "/hotel");
-			fail("IllegalArgumentException expected");
+			String result = pathMatcher.combine("/*.html", "/hotel");
+			fail("IllegalArgumentException expected; got " + result);
 		}
 		catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
 			// expected
 		}
 		try {
-			pathMatcher.combine("/*.html", "/*.txt");
-			fail("IllegalArgumentException expected");
+			String result = pathMatcher.combine("/*.html", "/*.txt");
+			fail("IllegalArgumentException expected; got " + result);
+		}
+		catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
+			// expected
+		}
+		try {
+			String result = pathMatcher.combine("/hotel.html", "/bookings.html");
+			fail("IllegalArgumentException expected; got " + result);
 		}
 		catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
 			// expected