diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletWebRequest.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletWebRequest.java
index 493a1aabfc..381e72bcc3 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletWebRequest.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletWebRequest.java
@@ -244,11 +244,15 @@ public class ServletWebRequest extends ServletRequestAttributes implements Nativ
 
 
 	private boolean isCompatibleWithConditionalRequests(HttpServletResponse response) {
-		if (response == null || !servlet3Present) {
-			// Can't check response.getStatus() - let's assume we're good
+		try {
+			if (response == null || !servlet3Present) {
+				// Can't check response.getStatus() - let's assume we're good
+				return true;
+			}
+			return HttpStatus.valueOf(response.getStatus()).is2xxSuccessful();
+		} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
 			return true;
 		}
-		return HttpStatus.valueOf(response.getStatus()).is2xxSuccessful();
 	}
 
 	private boolean isHeaderAbsent(HttpServletResponse response, String header) {
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletWebRequestHttpMethodsTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletWebRequestHttpMethodsTests.java
index 0d615a7e46..3832ae3a0b 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletWebRequestHttpMethodsTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletWebRequestHttpMethodsTests.java
@@ -87,6 +87,18 @@ public class ServletWebRequestHttpMethodsTests {
 		assertNull(servletResponse.getHeader("Last-Modified"));
 	}
 
+	// SPR-13516
+	@Test
+	public void checkNotModifiedInvalidStatus() {
+		long epochTime = currentDate.getTime();
+		servletRequest.addHeader("If-Modified-Since", epochTime);
+		servletResponse.setStatus(0);
+
+		assertTrue(request.checkNotModified(epochTime));
+		assertEquals(304, servletResponse.getStatus());
+		assertEquals(dateFormat.format(epochTime), servletResponse.getHeader("Last-Modified"));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void checkNotModifiedHeaderAlreadySet() {
 		long epochTime = currentDate.getTime();