diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/bind/annotation/ResponseStatus.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/bind/annotation/ResponseStatus.java
index d07c65d8a86..e4df7821c19 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/bind/annotation/ResponseStatus.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/bind/annotation/ResponseStatus.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2009 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2012 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.
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ public @interface ResponseStatus {
 
 	/**
 	 * The reason to be used for the response. <p>If this element is not set, it will default to the standard status
-	 * message for the status code.
+	 * message for the status code. Note that due to the use of {@code HttpServletResponse.sendError(int, String)},
+	 * the response will be considered complete and should not be written to any further.
 	 *
 	 * @see javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse#sendError(int, String)
 	 */
diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java
index 69d672acf2d..32d4920750f 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ public class ServletInvocableHandlerMethod extends InvocableHandlerMethod {
 				return;
 			}
 		}
+		else if (StringUtils.hasText(this.responseReason)) {
+			mavContainer.setRequestHandled(true);
+			return;
+		}
 
 		mavContainer.setRequestHandled(false);
 
diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/ServletInvocableHandlerMethodTests.java b/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/ServletInvocableHandlerMethodTests.java
index 2e1e62b0b2e..f92e8478fcc 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/ServletInvocableHandlerMethodTests.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/ServletInvocableHandlerMethodTests.java
@@ -72,19 +72,17 @@ public class ServletInvocableHandlerMethodTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void nullReturnValueResponseStatus() throws Exception {
+	public void invokeAndHandle_VoidWithResponseStatus() throws Exception {
 		ServletInvocableHandlerMethod handlerMethod = getHandlerMethod("responseStatus");
 		handlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(webRequest, mavContainer);
 
 		assertTrue("Null return value + @ResponseStatus should result in 'request handled'",
 				mavContainer.isRequestHandled());
-
 		assertEquals(HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST.value(), response.getStatus());
-		assertEquals("400 Bad Request", response.getErrorMessage());
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void nullReturnValueHttpServletResponseArg() throws Exception {
+	public void invokeAndHandle_VoidWithHttpServletResponseArgument() throws Exception {
 		argumentResolvers.addResolver(new ServletResponseMethodArgumentResolver());
 
 		ServletInvocableHandlerMethod handlerMethod = getHandlerMethod("httpServletResponse", HttpServletResponse.class);
@@ -95,7 +93,7 @@ public class ServletInvocableHandlerMethodTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void nullReturnValueRequestNotModified() throws Exception {
+	public void invokeAndHandle_VoidRequestNotModified() throws Exception {
 		webRequest.getNativeRequest(MockHttpServletRequest.class).addHeader("If-Modified-Since", 10 * 1000 * 1000);
 		int lastModifiedTimestamp = 1000 * 1000;
 		webRequest.checkNotModified(lastModifiedTimestamp);
@@ -107,8 +105,20 @@ public class ServletInvocableHandlerMethodTests {
 				mavContainer.isRequestHandled());
 	}
 
+	// SPR-9159
+
+	@Test
+	public void invokeAndHandle_NotVoidWithResponseStatusAndReason() throws Exception {
+		ServletInvocableHandlerMethod handlerMethod = getHandlerMethod("responseStatusWithReason");
+		handlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(webRequest, mavContainer);
+
+		assertTrue("When a phrase is used, the response should not be used any more", mavContainer.isRequestHandled());
+		assertEquals(HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST.value(), response.getStatus());
+		assertEquals("400 Bad Request", response.getErrorMessage());
+	}
+
 	@Test(expected=HttpMessageNotWritableException.class)
-	public void exceptionWhileHandlingReturnValue() throws Exception {
+	public void invokeAndHandle_Exception() throws Exception {
 		returnValueHandlers.addHandler(new ExceptionRaisingReturnValueHandler());
 
 		ServletInvocableHandlerMethod handlerMethod = getHandlerMethod("handle");
@@ -117,7 +127,7 @@ public class ServletInvocableHandlerMethodTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void dynamicReturnValue() throws Exception {
+	public void invokeAndHandle_DynamicReturnValue() throws Exception {
 		argumentResolvers.addResolver(new RequestParamMethodArgumentResolver(null, false));
 		returnValueHandlers.addHandler(new ViewMethodReturnValueHandler());
 		returnValueHandlers.addHandler(new ViewNameMethodReturnValueHandler());
@@ -153,10 +163,15 @@ public class ServletInvocableHandlerMethodTests {
 			return "view";
 		}
 
-		@ResponseStatus(value = HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST, reason = "400 Bad Request")
+		@ResponseStatus(value = HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST)
 		public void responseStatus() {
 		}
 
+		@ResponseStatus(value = HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST, reason = "400 Bad Request")
+		public String responseStatusWithReason() {
+			return "foo";
+		}
+
 		public void httpServletResponse(HttpServletResponse response) {
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/dist/changelog.txt b/src/dist/changelog.txt
index f76e2acbbd6..7695816b797 100644
--- a/src/dist/changelog.txt
+++ b/src/dist/changelog.txt
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@ Changes in version 3.2 M1
 * fix case-sensitivity issue with some containers on access to 'Content-Disposition' header
 * add Servlet 3.0 based async support
 * fix issue with encoded params in UriComponentsBuilder
-* add Jackson 2 HttpMessageConverter and View types
+* add HttpMessageConverter and View types compatible with Jackson 2.0
 * add pretty print option to Jackson HttpMessageConverter and View types
 * fix issue with resolving Errors controller method argument
 * detect controller methods via InitializingBean in RequestMappingHandlerMapping
 * translate IOException from Jackson to HttpMessageNotReadableException
 * fix content negotiation issue when sorting selected media types by quality value
+* Prevent further writing to the response when @ResponseStatus contains a reason
 
 
 Changes in version 3.1.1 (2012-02-16)