diff --git a/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolver.java b/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolver.java
index de2502e962f..25b1d37b295 100644
--- a/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolver.java
+++ b/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolver.java
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.lang.reflect.ParameterizedType;
 import java.lang.reflect.Type;
 import java.lang.reflect.TypeVariable;
+import java.lang.reflect.WildcardType;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -102,6 +104,35 @@ public abstract class GenericTypeResolver {
 		return (rawType instanceof Class ? (Class) rawType : method.getReturnType());
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Resolve the single type argument of the given generic interface against the given
+	 * target method which is assumed to return the given interface or an implementation
+	 * of it.
+	 * @param method the target method to check the return type of
+	 * @param genericIfc the generic interface or superclass to resolve the type argument from
+	 * @return the resolved parameter type of the method return type, or <code>null</code>
+	 * if not resolvable or if the single argument is of type {@link WildcardType}.
+	 */
+	public static Class<?> resolveReturnTypeArgument(Method method, Class<?> genericIfc) {
+		Type returnType = method.getReturnType();
+		Type genericReturnType = method.getGenericReturnType();
+		ParameterizedType targetType;
+		if (returnType.equals(genericIfc)) {
+			if (genericReturnType instanceof ParameterizedType) {
+				targetType = (ParameterizedType)genericReturnType;
+				Type[] actualTypeArguments = targetType.getActualTypeArguments();
+				Type typeArg = actualTypeArguments[0];
+				if (!(typeArg instanceof WildcardType)) {
+					return (Class<?>)typeArg;
+				}
+			}
+			else {
+				return null;
+			}
+		}
+		return GenericTypeResolver.resolveTypeArgument((Class<?>)returnType, genericIfc);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Resolve the single type argument of the given generic interface against
 	 * the given target class which is assumed to implement the generic interface
diff --git a/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolverTests.java b/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolverTests.java
index df595e3f2c0..e419c0bc1f6 100644
--- a/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolverTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/GenericTypeResolverTests.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import java.util.Collection;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;
 
 /**
  * @author Juergen Hoeller
@@ -46,6 +47,14 @@ public class GenericTypeResolverTests {
 		assertEquals(Collection.class, GenericTypeResolver.resolveTypeArgument(MyCollectionSuperclassType.class, MySuperclassType.class));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testMethodReturnType() {
+		assertEquals(Integer.class, GenericTypeResolver.resolveReturnTypeArgument(ReflectionUtils.findMethod(MyTypeWithMethods.class, "integer"), MyInterfaceType.class));
+		assertEquals(String.class, GenericTypeResolver.resolveReturnTypeArgument(ReflectionUtils.findMethod(MyTypeWithMethods.class, "string"), MyInterfaceType.class));
+		assertEquals(null, GenericTypeResolver.resolveReturnTypeArgument(ReflectionUtils.findMethod(MyTypeWithMethods.class, "raw"), MyInterfaceType.class));
+		assertEquals(null, GenericTypeResolver.resolveReturnTypeArgument(ReflectionUtils.findMethod(MyTypeWithMethods.class, "object"), MyInterfaceType.class));
+	}
+
 
 	public interface MyInterfaceType<T> {
 	}
@@ -66,4 +75,12 @@ public class GenericTypeResolverTests {
 	public class MyCollectionSuperclassType extends MySuperclassType<Collection<String>> {
 	}
 
+	public class MyTypeWithMethods {
+		public MyInterfaceType<Integer> integer() { return null; }
+		public MySimpleInterfaceType string() { return null; }
+		public Object object() { return null; }
+		@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
+		public MyInterfaceType raw() { return null; }
+	}
+
 }