diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/Configuration.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/Configuration.java
index 4901933311..e3ec37bf0c 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/Configuration.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/context/annotation/Configuration.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.lang.annotation.Target;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
+import org.springframework.core.annotation.AliasFor;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 
 /**
@@ -412,9 +413,10 @@ public @interface Configuration {
 	 * component scanning or supplied directly to a {@link AnnotationConfigApplicationContext}.
 	 * If the Configuration class is registered as a traditional XML bean definition,
 	 * the name/id of the bean element will take precedence.
-	 * @return the specified bean name, if any
+	 * @return the suggested component name, if any (or empty String otherwise)
 	 * @see org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultBeanNameGenerator
 	 */
+	@AliasFor(annotation = Component.class)
 	String value() default "";
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Component.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Component.java
index a6fd5b7ca5..967831d88c 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Component.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Component.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2007 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2017 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.
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public @interface Component {
 	/**
 	 * The value may indicate a suggestion for a logical component name,
 	 * to be turned into a Spring bean in case of an autodetected component.
-	 * @return the suggested component name, if any
+	 * @return the suggested component name, if any (or empty String otherwise)
 	 */
 	String value() default "";
 
diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Controller.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Controller.java
index 7cba6620e7..661502e676 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Controller.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Controller.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2007 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2017 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.
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public @interface Controller {
 	/**
 	 * The value may indicate a suggestion for a logical component name,
 	 * to be turned into a Spring bean in case of an autodetected component.
-	 * @return the suggested component name, if any
+	 * @return the suggested component name, if any (or empty String otherwise)
 	 */
 	@AliasFor(annotation = Component.class)
 	String value() default "";
diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Repository.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Repository.java
index 7262609319..e2754018f4 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Repository.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Repository.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2017 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.
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public @interface Repository {
 	/**
 	 * The value may indicate a suggestion for a logical component name,
 	 * to be turned into a Spring bean in case of an autodetected component.
-	 * @return the suggested component name, if any
+	 * @return the suggested component name, if any (or empty String otherwise)
 	 */
 	@AliasFor(annotation = Component.class)
 	String value() default "";
diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Service.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Service.java
index 032411dd6d..f4fe9fe6cb 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Service.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Service.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2011 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2017 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.
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public @interface Service {
 	/**
 	 * The value may indicate a suggestion for a logical component name,
 	 * to be turned into a Spring bean in case of an autodetected component.
-	 * @return the suggested component name, if any
+	 * @return the suggested component name, if any (or empty String otherwise)
 	 */
 	@AliasFor(annotation = Component.class)
 	String value() default "";
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Component.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Component.java
index 0df4525c66..39f46498b9 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Component.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/stereotype/Component.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2017 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.
@@ -27,17 +27,8 @@ import java.lang.annotation.Target;
  * Such classes are considered as candidates for auto-detection
  * when using annotation-based configuration and classpath scanning.
  *
- * <p>Other class-level annotations may be considered as identifying
- * a component as well, typically a special kind of component:
- * e.g. the {@link Repository @Repository} annotation or AspectJ's
- * {@link org.aspectj.lang.annotation.Aspect @Aspect} annotation.
- *
  * @author Mark Fisher
  * @since 2.5
- * @see Repository
- * @see Service
- * @see Controller
- * @see org.springframework.context.annotation.ClassPathBeanDefinitionScanner
  */
 @Target(ElementType.TYPE)
 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
@@ -48,8 +39,8 @@ public @interface Component {
 	/**
 	 * The value may indicate a suggestion for a logical component name,
 	 * to be turned into a Spring bean in case of an autodetected component.
-	 * @return the suggested component name, if any
+	 * @return the suggested component name, if any (or empty String otherwise)
 	 */
-	public abstract String value() default "";
+	String value() default "";
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/bind/annotation/RestController.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/bind/annotation/RestController.java
index aed21ae3d1..3210b252e0 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/bind/annotation/RestController.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/bind/annotation/RestController.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2017 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.
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
 import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
 import java.lang.annotation.Target;
 
+import org.springframework.core.annotation.AliasFor;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
 
 /**
@@ -51,9 +52,10 @@ public @interface RestController {
 	/**
 	 * The value may indicate a suggestion for a logical component name,
 	 * to be turned into a Spring bean in case of an autodetected component.
-	 * @return the suggested component name, if any
+	 * @return the suggested component name, if any (or empty String otherwise)
 	 * @since 4.0.1
 	 */
+	@AliasFor(annotation = Controller.class)
 	String value() default "";
 
 }