diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolver.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolver.java
index e641fdc87a1..a465a1bac2b 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolver.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolver.java
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolver extends AbstractHandlerExc
 						logger.debug("Invoking request handler method: " + handlerMethod);
 					}
 					Object retVal = doInvokeMethod(handlerMethod, handler, args);
-					return getModelAndView(handlerMethod, handler.getClass(), retVal, webRequest);
+					return getModelAndView(handlerMethod, retVal, webRequest);
 				}
 				catch (Exception invocationEx) {
 					logger.error("Invoking request method resulted in exception : " + handlerMethod, invocationEx);
@@ -324,10 +324,8 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolver extends AbstractHandlerExc
 	}
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-	private ModelAndView getModelAndView(Method handlerMethod,
-			Class handlerType,
-			Object returnValue,
-			ServletWebRequest webRequest) throws Exception {
+	private ModelAndView getModelAndView(Method handlerMethod, Object returnValue, ServletWebRequest webRequest)
+			throws Exception {
 
 		if (handlerMethod.isAnnotationPresent(ResponseStatus.class)) {
 			ResponseStatus responseStatus = handlerMethod.getAnnotation(ResponseStatus.class);
@@ -350,7 +348,7 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolver extends AbstractHandlerExc
 			return new ModelAndView((String) returnValue);
 		}
 		else if (returnValue == null) {
-			return null;
+			return new ModelAndView();
 		}
 		else {
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid handler method return value: " + returnValue);
diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolverTests.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolverTests.java
index 0924c03c878..64771c27a63 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolverTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolverTests.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 package org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.annotation;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.Writer;
+import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
 import java.net.BindException;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.mock.web.MockHttpServletRequest;
 import org.springframework.mock.web.MockHttpServletResponse;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
@@ -32,9 +35,10 @@ import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ExceptionHandler;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ResponseStatus;
 import org.springframework.web.servlet.ModelAndView;
-import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 
-/** @author Arjen Poutsma */
+/**
+ * @author Arjen Poutsma
+ */
 public class AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolverTests {
 
 	private AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolver exceptionResolver;
@@ -59,7 +63,6 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolverTests {
 		assertNotNull("No ModelAndView returned", mav);
 		assertEquals("Invalid view name returned", "BindException", mav.getViewName());
 		assertEquals("Invalid status code returned", 406, response.getStatus());
-
 	}
 
 	@Test(expected = IllegalStateException.class)
@@ -69,6 +72,16 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolverTests {
 		exceptionResolver.resolveException(request, response, controller, ex);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void noModelAndView() throws UnsupportedEncodingException {
+		IllegalArgumentException ex = new IllegalArgumentException();
+		NoMAVReturningController controller = new NoMAVReturningController();
+		ModelAndView mav = exceptionResolver.resolveException(request, response, controller, ex);
+		assertNotNull("No ModelAndView returned", mav);
+		assertTrue("ModelAndView not empty", mav.isEmpty());
+		assertEquals("Invalid response written", "IllegalArgumentException", response.getContentAsString());
+	}
+
 	@Controller
 	private static class SimpleController {
 
@@ -105,4 +118,13 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolverTests {
 		}
 
 	}
+
+	@Controller
+	private static class NoMAVReturningController {
+
+		@ExceptionHandler(Exception.class)
+		public void handle(Exception ex, Writer writer) throws IOException {
+			writer.write(ClassUtils.getShortName(ex.getClass()));
+		}
+	}
 }