diff --git a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/PrincipalArgumentResolver.java b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/PrincipalArgumentResolver.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..708020c57c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/PrincipalArgumentResolver.java
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2016 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.springframework.web.reactive.result.method.annotation;
+
+import java.security.Principal;
+
+import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
+
+import org.springframework.core.MethodParameter;
+import org.springframework.web.reactive.result.method.BindingContext;
+import org.springframework.web.reactive.result.method.HandlerMethodArgumentResolver;
+import org.springframework.web.server.ServerWebExchange;
+
+/**
+ * Resolves method argument value of type {@link java.security.Principal}.
+ *
+ * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
+ * @since 5.0
+ * @see ServerWebExchangeArgumentResolver
+ */
+public class PrincipalArgumentResolver implements HandlerMethodArgumentResolver {
+
+	@Override
+	public boolean supportsParameter(MethodParameter parameter) {
+		return (Principal.class.isAssignableFrom(parameter.getParameterType()));
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public Mono<Object> resolveArgument(MethodParameter parameter, BindingContext context,
+			ServerWebExchange exchange) {
+
+		Class<?> paramType = parameter.getParameterType();
+		if (Principal.class.isAssignableFrom(paramType)) {
+			return exchange.getPrincipal().cast(Object.class);
+		}
+		else {
+			// should never happen...
+			throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+					"Unknown parameter type: " + paramType + " in method: " + parameter.getMethod());
+		}
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java
index 7904e4432c1..43ec18e78ec 100644
--- a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java
+++ b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ public class RequestMappingHandlerAdapter implements HandlerAdapter, BeanFactory
 		resolvers.add(new HttpEntityArgumentResolver(getMessageReaders(), getReactiveAdapterRegistry()));
 		resolvers.add(new ModelArgumentResolver());
 		resolvers.add(new ServerWebExchangeArgumentResolver());
+		resolvers.add(new PrincipalArgumentResolver());
 		resolvers.add(new WebSessionArgumentResolver());
 
 		// Custom resolvers
diff --git a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/ServerWebExchangeArgumentResolver.java b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/ServerWebExchangeArgumentResolver.java
index 6a47cd35df9..5634a2d8be1 100644
--- a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/ServerWebExchangeArgumentResolver.java
+++ b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/annotation/ServerWebExchangeArgumentResolver.java
@@ -30,15 +30,17 @@ import org.springframework.web.server.ServerWebExchange;
  * <ul>
  * <li>{@link ServerWebExchange}
  * <li>{@link ServerHttpRequest}
- * <li>{@link HttpMethod}
  * <li>{@link ServerHttpResponse}
+ * <li>{@link HttpMethod}
  * </ul>
  *
- * <p>For the {@code WebSession} see {@link WebSessionArgumentResolver}.
+ * <p>For the {@code WebSession} see {@link WebSessionArgumentResolver}
+ * and for the {@code Principal} see {@link PrincipalArgumentResolver}.
  *
  * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
  * @since 5.0
  * @see WebSessionArgumentResolver
+ * @see PrincipalArgumentResolver
  */
 public class ServerWebExchangeArgumentResolver implements SyncHandlerMethodArgumentResolver {
 
@@ -56,25 +58,23 @@ public class ServerWebExchangeArgumentResolver implements SyncHandlerMethodArgum
 			ServerWebExchange exchange) {
 
 		Class<?> paramType = parameter.getParameterType();
-		Object value;
 		if (ServerWebExchange.class.isAssignableFrom(paramType)) {
-			value = exchange;
+			return Optional.of(exchange);
 		}
 		else if (ServerHttpRequest.class.isAssignableFrom(paramType)) {
-			value = exchange.getRequest();
+			return Optional.of(exchange.getRequest());
 		}
 		else if (ServerHttpResponse.class.isAssignableFrom(paramType)) {
-			value = exchange.getResponse();
+			return Optional.of(exchange.getResponse());
 		}
 		else if (HttpMethod.class == paramType) {
-			value = exchange.getRequest().getMethod();
+			return Optional.of(exchange.getRequest().getMethod());
 		}
 		else {
 			// should never happen...
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException(
 					"Unknown parameter type: " + paramType + " in method: " + parameter.getMethod());
 		}
-		return Optional.of(value);
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/DefaultServerWebExchangeMutativeBuilder.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/DefaultServerWebExchangeMutativeBuilder.java
index 8bb292927c3..b6b521e1a58 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/DefaultServerWebExchangeMutativeBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/DefaultServerWebExchangeMutativeBuilder.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 package org.springframework.web.server;
 
 import java.security.Principal;
-import java.util.Optional;
 
 import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
 
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ class DefaultServerWebExchangeMutativeBuilder implements ServerWebExchange.Mutat
 
 	private ServerHttpResponse response;
 
-	private Principal user;
+	private Mono<Principal> user;
 
 	private Mono<WebSession> session;
 
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ class DefaultServerWebExchangeMutativeBuilder implements ServerWebExchange.Mutat
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public ServerWebExchange.MutativeBuilder setPrincipal(Principal user) {
+	public ServerWebExchange.MutativeBuilder setPrincipal(Mono<Principal> user) {
 		this.user = user;
 		return this;
 	}
@@ -100,7 +99,7 @@ class DefaultServerWebExchangeMutativeBuilder implements ServerWebExchange.Mutat
 
 		private final ServerHttpResponse response;
 
-		private final Principal user;
+		private final Mono<Principal> userMono;
 
 		private final Mono<WebSession> session;
 
@@ -108,13 +107,13 @@ class DefaultServerWebExchangeMutativeBuilder implements ServerWebExchange.Mutat
 
 
 		public MutativeDecorator(ServerWebExchange delegate,
-				ServerHttpRequest request, ServerHttpResponse response, Principal user,
+				ServerHttpRequest request, ServerHttpResponse response, Mono<Principal> user,
 				Mono<WebSession> session, Mono<MultiValueMap<String, String>> formData) {
 
 			super(delegate);
 			this.request = request;
 			this.response = response;
-			this.user = user;
+			this.userMono = user;
 			this.session = session;
 			this.formData = formData;
 		}
@@ -137,8 +136,8 @@ class DefaultServerWebExchangeMutativeBuilder implements ServerWebExchange.Mutat
 
 		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 		@Override
-		public <T extends Principal> Optional<T> getPrincipal() {
-			return (this.user != null ? Optional.of((T) this.user) : getDelegate().getPrincipal());
+		public <T extends Principal> Mono<T> getPrincipal() {
+			return (this.userMono != null ? (Mono<T>) this.userMono : getDelegate().getPrincipal());
 		}
 
 		@Override
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/ServerWebExchange.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/ServerWebExchange.java
index e219d8412f1..1b4e88be303 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/ServerWebExchange.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/ServerWebExchange.java
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public interface ServerWebExchange {
 	/**
 	 * Return the authenticated user for the request, if any.
 	 */
-	<T extends Principal> Optional<T> getPrincipal();
+	<T extends Principal> Mono<T> getPrincipal();
 
 	/**
 	 * Return the form data from the body of the request or an empty {@code Mono}
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ public interface ServerWebExchange {
 		/**
 		 * Set the principal to use.
 		 */
-		MutativeBuilder setPrincipal(Principal user);
+		MutativeBuilder setPrincipal(Mono<Principal> user);
 
 		/**
 		 * Set the session to use.
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/ServerWebExchangeDecorator.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/ServerWebExchangeDecorator.java
index 2dcd561ad58..2a39be8ba7b 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/ServerWebExchangeDecorator.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/ServerWebExchangeDecorator.java
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public class ServerWebExchangeDecorator implements ServerWebExchange {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public <T extends Principal> Optional<T> getPrincipal() {
+	public <T extends Principal> Mono<T> getPrincipal() {
 		return getDelegate().getPrincipal();
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/adapter/DefaultServerWebExchange.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/adapter/DefaultServerWebExchange.java
index a7eed8018e7..84de4de80c9 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/adapter/DefaultServerWebExchange.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/server/adapter/DefaultServerWebExchange.java
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ public class DefaultServerWebExchange implements ServerWebExchange {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public <T extends Principal> Optional<T> getPrincipal() {
-		return Optional.empty();
+	public <T extends Principal> Mono<T> getPrincipal() {
+		return Mono.empty();
 	}
 
 	@Override