diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.java
index ea05dbf6497..ffb61e7901d 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.java
@@ -637,8 +637,11 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter extends WebContentGenerator
 
 			Map<String, String> variables =
 					(Map<String, String>) request.getAttribute(HandlerMapping.URI_TEMPLATE_VARIABLES_ATTRIBUTE);
+
+			int patternVariableCount = StringUtils.countOccurrencesOf(mappedPattern, "{");
 			
-			if (CollectionUtils.isEmpty(variables) && pathMatcher.match(mappedPattern, lookupPath)) {
+			if ( (variables == null || patternVariableCount != variables.size())  
+					&& pathMatcher.match(mappedPattern, lookupPath)) {
 				variables = pathMatcher.extractUriTemplateVariables(mappedPattern, lookupPath);
 				request.setAttribute(HandlerMapping.URI_TEMPLATE_VARIABLES_ATTRIBUTE, variables);
 			}
diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/UriTemplateServletAnnotationControllerTests.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/UriTemplateServletAnnotationControllerTests.java
index c3fe460aadb..2b436092e32 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/UriTemplateServletAnnotationControllerTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/UriTemplateServletAnnotationControllerTests.java
@@ -376,6 +376,36 @@ public class UriTemplateServletAnnotationControllerTests {
 		assertEquals("plain-bar", response.getContentAsString());
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * See SPR-6978
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void doIt() throws Exception {
+		initServlet(Spr6978Controller.class);
+		
+		MockHttpServletRequest request = new MockHttpServletRequest("GET", "/foo/100");
+		MockHttpServletResponse response = new MockHttpServletResponse();
+		servlet.service(request, response);
+		assertEquals("loadEntity:foo:100", response.getContentAsString());
+
+		request = new MockHttpServletRequest("POST", "/foo/100");
+		response = new MockHttpServletResponse();
+		servlet.service(request, response);
+		assertEquals("publish:foo:100", response.getContentAsString());
+
+		request = new MockHttpServletRequest("GET", "/module/100");
+		response = new MockHttpServletResponse();
+		servlet.service(request, response);
+		assertEquals("loadModule:100", response.getContentAsString());
+
+		request = new MockHttpServletRequest("POST", "/module/100");
+		response = new MockHttpServletResponse();
+		servlet.service(request, response);
+		assertEquals("publish:module:100", response.getContentAsString());
+
+	}
+
+
 
 	/*
 	 * Controllers
@@ -625,5 +655,26 @@ public class UriTemplateServletAnnotationControllerTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Controller
+	public static class Spr6978Controller {
+
+		@RequestMapping(value = "/{type}/{id}", method = RequestMethod.GET)
+		public void loadEntity(@PathVariable final String type, @PathVariable final long id, Writer writer)
+				throws IOException {
+			writer.write("loadEntity:" + type + ":" + id);
+		}
+
+		@RequestMapping(value = "/module/{id}", method = RequestMethod.GET)
+		public void loadModule(@PathVariable final long id, Writer writer) throws IOException {
+			writer.write("loadModule:" + id);
+		}
+
+		@RequestMapping(value = "/{type}/{id}", method = RequestMethod.POST)
+		public void publish(@PathVariable final String type, @PathVariable final long id, Writer writer)
+				throws IOException {
+			writer.write("publish:" + type + ":" + id);
+		}
+	}
+
 
 }