diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/TypeMappedAnnotation.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/TypeMappedAnnotation.java
index f3218312be..7457ddd6de 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/TypeMappedAnnotation.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/TypeMappedAnnotation.java
@@ -323,11 +323,11 @@ final class TypeMappedAnnotation<A extends Annotation> extends AbstractMergedAnn
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	protected A createSynthesizedAnnotation() {
 		// Check root annotation
-		if (isTargetAnnotation(this.rootAttributes) && isNotSynthesizable((Annotation) this.rootAttributes)) {
+		if (isTargetAnnotation(this.rootAttributes) && !isSynthesizable((Annotation) this.rootAttributes)) {
 			return (A) this.rootAttributes;
 		}
 		// Check meta-annotation
-		else if (isTargetAnnotation(this.mapping.getAnnotation()) && isNotSynthesizable(this.mapping.getAnnotation())) {
+		else if (isTargetAnnotation(this.mapping.getAnnotation()) && !isSynthesizable(this.mapping.getAnnotation())) {
 			return (A) this.mapping.getAnnotation();
 		}
 		return SynthesizedMergedAnnotationInvocationHandler.createProxy(this, getType());
@@ -344,14 +344,25 @@ final class TypeMappedAnnotation<A extends Annotation> extends AbstractMergedAnn
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Determine if the supplied annotation has already been synthesized or if the
-	 * mapped annotation is not {@linkplain AnnotationTypeMapping#isSynthesizable()
-	 * synthesizable} in general.
+	 * Determine if the supplied annotation has not already been synthesized
+	 * <strong>and</strong> whether the mapped annotation is a composed annotation
+	 * that needs to have its attributes merged or the mapped annotation is
+	 * {@linkplain AnnotationTypeMapping#isSynthesizable() synthesizable} in general.
 	 * @param annotation the annotation to check
 	 * @since 5.3.22
 	 */
-	private boolean isNotSynthesizable(Annotation annotation) {
-		return (annotation instanceof SynthesizedAnnotation || !this.mapping.isSynthesizable());
+	private boolean isSynthesizable(Annotation annotation) {
+		// Already synthesized?
+		if (annotation instanceof SynthesizedAnnotation) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		// Is this a mapped annotation for a composed annotation, and are there
+		// annotation attributes (mirrors) that need to be merged?
+		if (getDistance() > 0 && this.resolvedMirrors.length > 0) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		// Is the mapped annotation itself synthesizable?
+		return this.mapping.isSynthesizable();
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/MergedAnnotationsTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/MergedAnnotationsTests.java
index ec78683b47..67ca097531 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/MergedAnnotationsTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/MergedAnnotationsTests.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
 import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
 import java.lang.annotation.Target;
 import java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedElement;
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
@@ -1539,7 +1540,28 @@ class MergedAnnotationsTests {
 		assertThat(generatedValue).isSameAs(synthesizedGeneratedValue);
 	}
 
-	@Test
+	@Test  // gh-28716
+	void synthesizeWhenUsingMergedAnnotationsFromApi() {
+		Field directlyAnnotatedField = ReflectionUtils.findField(DomainType.class, "directlyAnnotated");
+		MergedAnnotations mergedAnnotations = MergedAnnotations.from(directlyAnnotatedField);
+		RootAnnotation rootAnnotation = mergedAnnotations.get(RootAnnotation.class).synthesize();
+		assertThat(rootAnnotation.flag()).isFalse();
+		assertThat(rootAnnotation).isNotInstanceOf(SynthesizedAnnotation.class);
+
+		Field metaAnnotatedField = ReflectionUtils.findField(DomainType.class, "metaAnnotated");
+		mergedAnnotations = MergedAnnotations.from(metaAnnotatedField);
+		rootAnnotation = mergedAnnotations.get(RootAnnotation.class).synthesize();
+		assertThat(rootAnnotation.flag()).isTrue();
+		assertThat(rootAnnotation).isInstanceOf(SynthesizedAnnotation.class);
+
+		Field metaMetaAnnotatedField = ReflectionUtils.findField(DomainType.class, "metaMetaAnnotated");
+		mergedAnnotations = MergedAnnotations.from(metaMetaAnnotatedField);
+		rootAnnotation = mergedAnnotations.get(RootAnnotation.class).synthesize();
+		assertThat(rootAnnotation.flag()).isTrue();
+		assertThat(rootAnnotation).isInstanceOf(SynthesizedAnnotation.class);
+	}
+
+	@Test  // gh-28704
 	void synthesizeShouldNotSynthesizeNonsynthesizableAnnotationsWhenUsingMergedAnnotationsFromApi() {
 		MergedAnnotations mergedAnnotations = MergedAnnotations.from(SecurityConfig.class);
 
@@ -3246,6 +3268,40 @@ class MergedAnnotationsTests {
 	static class SecurityConfig {
 	}
 
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@Target({ ElementType.FIELD, ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE })
+	@interface RootAnnotation {
+		String value() default "";
+		boolean flag() default false;
+	}
+
+	@RootAnnotation
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@Target({ ElementType.FIELD, ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE })
+	@interface ComposedRootAnnotation {
+
+		@AliasFor(annotation = RootAnnotation.class, attribute = "flag")
+		boolean enabled() default true;
+	}
+
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@Target(ElementType.FIELD)
+	@ComposedRootAnnotation
+	@interface DoublyComposedRootAnnotation {
+	}
+
+	class DomainType {
+
+		@RootAnnotation
+		Object directlyAnnotated;
+
+		@ComposedRootAnnotation
+		Object metaAnnotated;
+
+		@DoublyComposedRootAnnotation
+		Object metaMetaAnnotated;
+	}
+
 	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
 	@interface TestConfiguration {