diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.java
index db1c04f3d0c..da565f3b23f 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter.java
@@ -487,8 +487,11 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerAdapter extends WebContentGenerator
 				boolean match = false;
 				if (mappingInfo.paths.length > 0) {
 					List<String> matchedPaths = new ArrayList<String>(mappingInfo.paths.length);
-					for (String methodLevelPattern : mappingInfo.paths) {
-						String matchedPattern = getMatchedPattern(methodLevelPattern, lookupPath, request);
+					for (String mappedPattern : mappingInfo.paths) {
+						if (!hasTypeLevelMapping() && !mappedPattern.startsWith("/")) {
+							mappedPattern = "/" + mappedPattern;
+						}
+						String matchedPattern = getMatchedPattern(mappedPattern, lookupPath, request);
 						if (matchedPattern != null) {
 							if (mappingInfo.matches(request)) {
 								match = true;
diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/DefaultAnnotationHandlerMapping.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/DefaultAnnotationHandlerMapping.java
index df51b64f252..7e883855428 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/DefaultAnnotationHandlerMapping.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/DefaultAnnotationHandlerMapping.java
@@ -154,11 +154,11 @@ public class DefaultAnnotationHandlerMapping extends AbstractDetectingUrlHandler
 	/**
 	 * Derive URL mappings from the handler's method-level mappings.
 	 * @param handlerType the handler type to introspect
-	 * @param indicateEmpty whether the returned array should contain
-	 * <code>null</code> in case of an empty {@link RequestMapping} value.
+	 * @param hasTypeLevelMapping whether the method-level mappings are nested
+	 * within a type-level mapping
 	 * @return the array of mapped URLs
 	 */
-	protected String[] determineUrlsForHandlerMethods(Class<?> handlerType, final boolean indicateEmpty) {
+	protected String[] determineUrlsForHandlerMethods(Class<?> handlerType, final boolean hasTypeLevelMapping) {
 		String[] subclassResult = determineUrlsForHandlerMethods(handlerType);
 		if (subclassResult != null) {
 			return subclassResult;
@@ -175,10 +175,13 @@ public class DefaultAnnotationHandlerMapping extends AbstractDetectingUrlHandler
 						String[] mappedPatterns = mapping.value();
 						if (mappedPatterns.length > 0) {
 							for (String mappedPattern : mappedPatterns) {
+								if (!hasTypeLevelMapping && !mappedPattern.startsWith("/")) {
+									mappedPattern = "/" + mappedPattern;
+								}
 								addUrlsForPath(urls, mappedPattern);
 							}
 						}
-						else if (indicateEmpty) {
+						else if (hasTypeLevelMapping) {
 							// empty method-level RequestMapping
 							urls.add(null);
 						}
diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/ServletAnnotationControllerTests.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/ServletAnnotationControllerTests.java
index 96378b52b4c..ea00315a008 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/ServletAnnotationControllerTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/ServletAnnotationControllerTests.java
@@ -964,6 +964,32 @@ public class ServletAnnotationControllerTests {
 		assertEquals("mySurpriseView", response.getContentAsString());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void relativeMethodPathDispatchingController() throws Exception {
+		initServlet(MyRelativeMethodPathDispatchingController.class);
+		servlet.init(new MockServletConfig());
+
+		MockHttpServletRequest request = new MockHttpServletRequest("GET", "/myApp/myHandle");
+		MockHttpServletResponse response = new MockHttpServletResponse();
+		servlet.service(request, response);
+		assertEquals("myView", response.getContentAsString());
+
+		request = new MockHttpServletRequest("GET", "/yourApp/myOther");
+		response = new MockHttpServletResponse();
+		servlet.service(request, response);
+		assertEquals("myOtherView", response.getContentAsString());
+
+		request = new MockHttpServletRequest("GET", "/hisApp/myLang");
+		response = new MockHttpServletResponse();
+		servlet.service(request, response);
+		assertEquals("myLangView", response.getContentAsString());
+
+		request = new MockHttpServletRequest("GET", "/herApp/surprise.do");
+		response = new MockHttpServletResponse();
+		servlet.service(request, response);
+		assertEquals("mySurpriseView", response.getContentAsString());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void nullCommandController() throws Exception {
 		initServlet(MyNullCommandController.class);
@@ -1360,8 +1386,8 @@ public class ServletAnnotationControllerTests {
 	}
 
 	/*
-		 * Controllers
-		 */
+	 * Controllers
+	 */
 
 	@RequestMapping("/myPath.do")
 	private static class MyController extends AbstractController {
@@ -1836,6 +1862,30 @@ public class ServletAnnotationControllerTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Controller
+	private static class MyRelativeMethodPathDispatchingController {
+
+		@RequestMapping("**/myHandle")
+		public void myHandle(HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException {
+			response.getWriter().write("myView");
+		}
+
+		@RequestMapping("/**/*Other")
+		public void myOtherHandle(HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException {
+			response.getWriter().write("myOtherView");
+		}
+
+		@RequestMapping("**/myLang")
+		public void myLangHandle(HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException {
+			response.getWriter().write("myLangView");
+		}
+
+		@RequestMapping("/**/surprise")
+		public void mySurpriseHandle(HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException {
+			response.getWriter().write("mySurpriseView");
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Controller
 	private static class MyNullCommandController {