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 9b75ed107c43bcfbc422660964b875140d60c4dc..0065ed4a6c6681a102914e9e7b59a49fefb71ed4 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
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.annotation.AnnotationUtils;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpInputMessage;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpOutputMessage;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
+import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.http.converter.ByteArrayHttpMessageConverter;
 import org.springframework.http.converter.FormHttpMessageConverter;
 import org.springframework.http.converter.HttpMessageConverter;
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ import org.springframework.ui.Model;
 import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ExceptionHandler;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ResponseBody;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ResponseStatus;
@@ -347,10 +349,16 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolver extends AbstractHandlerExc
 	private ModelAndView getModelAndView(Method handlerMethod, Object returnValue, ServletWebRequest webRequest)
 			throws Exception {
 
-		ResponseStatus responseStatus = AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(handlerMethod, ResponseStatus.class);
-		if (responseStatus != null) {
-			HttpServletResponse response = webRequest.getResponse();
-			response.setStatus(responseStatus.value().value());
+		ResponseStatus responseStatusAnn = AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(handlerMethod, ResponseStatus.class);
+		if (responseStatusAnn != null) {
+			HttpStatus responseStatus = responseStatusAnn.value();
+			String reason = responseStatusAnn.reason();
+			if (!StringUtils.hasText(reason)) {
+				webRequest.getResponse().setStatus(responseStatus.value());
+			}
+			else {
+				webRequest.getResponse().sendError(responseStatus.value(), reason);
+			}
 		}
 
 		if (returnValue != null && AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(handlerMethod, ResponseBody.class) != null) {
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 fddb70ea6b192cc3ad2a7ac0b47aa4c9670c9da9..412ed1b029d06f928e5ba447f8804b2a4cbd683f 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
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolverTests {
 		assertNotNull("No ModelAndView returned", mav);
 		assertEquals("Invalid view name returned", "Y:SocketException", mav.getViewName());
 		assertEquals("Invalid status code returned", 406, response.getStatus());
+		assertEquals("Invalid status reason returned", "This is simply unacceptable!", response.getErrorMessage());
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ public class AnnotationMethodHandlerExceptionResolverTests {
 		}
 
 		@ExceptionHandler(SocketException.class)
-		@ResponseStatus(HttpStatus.NOT_ACCEPTABLE)
+		@ResponseStatus(value = HttpStatus.NOT_ACCEPTABLE, reason = "This is simply unacceptable!")
 		public String handleSocketException(Exception ex, HttpServletResponse response) {
 			return "Y:" + ClassUtils.getShortName(ex.getClass());
 		}