diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java
index 1c0f7d845b..886327e13c 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java
@@ -594,15 +594,16 @@ public class AntPathMatcher implements PathMatcher {
 		@Override
 		public int compare(String pattern1, String pattern2) {
 
-			boolean pattern1NullCaptureAll = isNullOrCaptureAllPattern(pattern1);
-			boolean pattern2NullCaptureAll = isNullOrCaptureAllPattern(pattern2);
-			if (pattern1NullCaptureAll && pattern2NullCaptureAll) {
+			PatternInfo info1 = new PatternInfo(pattern1);
+			PatternInfo info2 = new PatternInfo(pattern2);
+
+			if (info1.isLeastSpecific() && info2.isLeastSpecific()) {
 				return 0;
 			}
-			else if (pattern1NullCaptureAll) {
+			else if (info1.isLeastSpecific()) {
 				return 1;
 			}
-			else if (pattern2NullCaptureAll) {
+			else if (info2.isLeastSpecific()) {
 				return -1;
 			}
 
@@ -618,93 +619,126 @@ public class AntPathMatcher implements PathMatcher {
 				return 1;
 			}
 
-			PatternElements pattern1Elements = new PatternElements(pattern1);
-			PatternElements pattern2Elements = new PatternElements(pattern2);
-
-			if(pattern1Elements.endsWithCatchAll && pattern2Elements.catchAllCount == 0) {
+			if (info1.isPrefixPattern() && info2.getDoubleWildcards() == 0) {
 				return 1;
 			}
-			else if(pattern2Elements.endsWithCatchAll && pattern1Elements.catchAllCount == 0) {
+			else if (info2.isPrefixPattern() && info1.getDoubleWildcards() == 0) {
 				return -1;
 			}
 
-			int totalCount1 = pattern1Elements.bracketCount + pattern1Elements.wildcardsCount;
-			int totalCount2 = pattern2Elements.bracketCount + pattern2Elements.wildcardsCount;
-
-			if (totalCount1 != totalCount2) {
-				return totalCount1 - totalCount2;
+			if (info1.getTotalCount() != info2.getTotalCount()) {
+				return info1.getTotalCount() - info2.getTotalCount();
 			}
 
-			int pattern1Length = getPatternLength(pattern1);
-			int pattern2Length = getPatternLength(pattern2);
-
-			if (pattern1Length != pattern2Length) {
-				return pattern2Length - pattern1Length;
+			if (info1.getLength() != info2.getLength()) {
+				return info2.getLength() - info1.getLength();
 			}
 
-			if (pattern1Elements.wildcardsCount < pattern2Elements.wildcardsCount) {
+			if (info1.getSingleWildcards() < info2.getSingleWildcards()) {
 				return -1;
 			}
-			else if (pattern2Elements.wildcardsCount < pattern1Elements.wildcardsCount) {
+			else if (info2.getSingleWildcards() < info1.getSingleWildcards()) {
 				return 1;
 			}
 
-			if (pattern1Elements.bracketCount < pattern2Elements.bracketCount) {
+			if (info1.getUriVars() < info2.getUriVars()) {
 				return -1;
 			}
-			else if (pattern2Elements.bracketCount < pattern1Elements.bracketCount) {
+			else if (info2.getUriVars() < info1.getUriVars()) {
 				return 1;
 			}
 
 			return 0;
 		}
 
-		private boolean isNullOrCaptureAllPattern(String pattern) {
-			return pattern == null || "/**".equals(pattern);
-		}
-
 		/**
-		 * Returns the length of the given pattern, where template variables are considered to be 1 long.
+		 * Value class that holds information about the pattern, e.g. number of
+		 * occurrences of "*", "**", and "{" pattern elements.
 		 */
-		private int getPatternLength(String pattern) {
-			return VARIABLE_PATTERN.matcher(pattern).replaceAll("#").length();
-		}
+		private static class PatternInfo {
 
-		/**
-		 * Value class that holds the number of occurrences for "*", "**", and "{" pattern elements
-		 */
-		private class PatternElements {
-			int bracketCount = 0;
-			int wildcardsCount = 0;
-			int catchAllCount = 0;
-			boolean endsWithCatchAll;
+			private final String pattern;
 
-			public PatternElements(String pattern) {
+			private int uriVars;
 
-				if(pattern == null || pattern.length() == 0) {
-					return;
+			private int singleWildcards;
+
+			private int doubleWildcards;
+
+			private boolean catchAllPattern;
+
+			private boolean prefixPattern;
+
+			private Integer length;
+
+
+			public PatternInfo(String pattern) {
+				this.pattern = pattern;
+				if (this.pattern != null) {
+					initCounters();
+					this.catchAllPattern = this.pattern.equals("/**");
+					this.prefixPattern = !this.catchAllPattern && this.pattern.endsWith("/**");
 				}
-				int pos = 0;
+				if (this.uriVars == 0) {
+					this.length = (this.pattern != null ? this.pattern.length() : 0);
+				}
+			}
 
-				while(pos < pattern.length()) {
-					if(pattern.charAt(pos) == '{') {
-						bracketCount++;
+			protected void initCounters() {
+				int pos = 0;
+				while (pos < this.pattern.length()) {
+					if(this.pattern.charAt(pos) == '{') {
+						this.uriVars++;
 						pos++;
-					} else if(pattern.charAt(pos) == '*') {
-						if(pos + 1 < pattern.length() && pattern.charAt(pos + 1) == '*') {
-							catchAllCount++;
+					}
+					else if(this.pattern.charAt(pos) == '*') {
+						if(pos + 1 < this.pattern.length() && this.pattern.charAt(pos + 1) == '*') {
+							this.doubleWildcards++;
 							pos += 2;
-						} else {
-							wildcardsCount++;
+						}
+						else {
+							this.singleWildcards++;
 							pos++;
 						}
 					} else {
 						pos++;
 					}
 				}
-				endsWithCatchAll = pattern.endsWith("**");
 			}
 
+			public int getUriVars() {
+				return this.uriVars;
+			}
+
+			public int getSingleWildcards() {
+				return this.singleWildcards;
+			}
+
+			public int getDoubleWildcards() {
+				return this.doubleWildcards;
+			}
+
+			public boolean isLeastSpecific() {
+				return (this.pattern == null || this.catchAllPattern);
+			}
+
+			public boolean isPrefixPattern() {
+				return this.prefixPattern;
+			}
+
+			public int getTotalCount() {
+				return this.uriVars + this.singleWildcards + (2 * this.doubleWildcards);
+			}
+
+			/**
+			 * Returns the length of the given pattern, where template variables are considered to be 1 long.
+			 */
+			public int getLength() {
+				if (this.length == null) {
+					this.length = VARIABLE_PATTERN.matcher(this.pattern).replaceAll("#").length();
+				}
+				return this.length;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java
index 120e771581..28673c2643 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java
@@ -457,8 +457,8 @@ public class AntPathMatcherTests {
 		assertEquals(1, comparator.compare("/hotels/**", "/hotels/{hotel}/bookings/{booking}/cutomers/{customer}"));
 		assertEquals(1, comparator.compare("/hotels/foo/bar/**", "/hotels/{hotel}"));
 		assertEquals(-1, comparator.compare("/hotels/{hotel}", "/hotels/foo/bar/**"));
-		assertEquals(-12, comparator.compare("/hotels/**/bookings/**", "/hotels/**"));
-		assertEquals(12, comparator.compare("/hotels/**", "/hotels/**/bookings/**"));
+		assertEquals(2, comparator.compare("/hotels/**/bookings/**", "/hotels/**"));
+		assertEquals(-2, comparator.compare("/hotels/**", "/hotels/**/bookings/**"));
 
 		//SPR-8683
 		assertEquals(1, comparator.compare("/**", "/hotels/{hotel}"));