diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletRequestAttributes.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletRequestAttributes.java
index 8ad2fdb997..20a17c3fce 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletRequestAttributes.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletRequestAttributes.java
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ public class ServletRequestAttributes extends AbstractRequestAttributes {
 					String name = entry.getKey();
 					Object newValue = entry.getValue();
 					Object oldValue = this.session.getAttribute(name);
-					if (oldValue == newValue) {
+					if (oldValue == newValue && !isImmutableSessionAttribute(name, newValue)) {
 						this.session.setAttribute(name, newValue);
 					}
 				}
@@ -260,6 +260,23 @@ public class ServletRequestAttributes extends AbstractRequestAttributes {
 		this.sessionAttributesToUpdate.clear();
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Determine whether the given value is to be considered as an immutable session
+	 * attribute, that is, doesn't have to be re-set via {@code session.setAttribute}
+	 * since its value cannot meaningfully change internally.
+	 * <p>The default implementation returns {@code true} for {@code String},
+	 * {@code Character}, {@code Boolean} and {@code Number} values.
+	 * @param name the name of the attribute
+	 * @param value the corresponding value to check
+	 * @return {@code true} if the value is to be considered as immutable for the
+	 * purposes of session attribute management; {@code false} otherwise
+	 * @see #updateAccessedSessionAttributes()
+	 */
+	protected boolean isImmutableSessionAttribute(String name, Object value) {
+		return (value instanceof String || value instanceof Character ||
+				value instanceof Boolean || value instanceof Number);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Register the given callback as to be executed after session termination.
 	 * <p>Note: The callback object should be serializable in order to survive
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletRequestAttributesTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletRequestAttributesTests.java
index 2e5688857f..226b05d3d1 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletRequestAttributesTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/context/request/ServletRequestAttributesTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2013 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2014 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.
@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@
 package org.springframework.web.context.request;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
-
+import java.math.BigInteger;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpSession;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
+
 import org.springframework.mock.web.test.MockHttpServletRequest;
 import org.springframework.mock.web.test.MockHttpSession;
 
@@ -39,23 +41,12 @@ public class ServletRequestAttributesTests {
 	private static final Serializable VALUE = new Serializable() {
 	};
 
+
 	@Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
 	public void ctorRejectsNullArg() throws Exception {
 		new ServletRequestAttributes(null);
 	}
 
-	@Test
-	public void updateAccessedAttributes() throws Exception {
-		MockHttpSession session = new MockHttpSession();
-		session.setAttribute(KEY, VALUE);
-		MockHttpServletRequest request = new MockHttpServletRequest();
-		request.setSession(session);
-		ServletRequestAttributes attrs = new ServletRequestAttributes(request);
-		Object value = attrs.getAttribute(KEY, RequestAttributes.SCOPE_SESSION);
-		assertSame(VALUE, value);
-		attrs.requestCompleted();
-	}
-
 	@Test
 	public void setRequestScopedAttribute() throws Exception {
 		MockHttpServletRequest request = new MockHttpServletRequest();
@@ -162,4 +153,64 @@ public class ServletRequestAttributesTests {
 		verify(request).getSession(false);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void updateAccessedAttributes() throws Exception {
+		HttpServletRequest request = mock(HttpServletRequest.class);
+		HttpSession session = mock(HttpSession.class);
+		when(request.getSession(anyBoolean())).thenReturn(session);
+		when(session.getAttribute(KEY)).thenReturn(VALUE);
+
+		ServletRequestAttributes attrs = new ServletRequestAttributes(request);
+		assertSame(VALUE, attrs.getAttribute(KEY, RequestAttributes.SCOPE_SESSION));
+		attrs.requestCompleted();
+
+		verify(session, times(2)).getAttribute(KEY);
+		verify(session).setAttribute(KEY, VALUE);
+		verifyNoMoreInteractions(session);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void skipImmutableString() {
+		doSkipImmutableValue("someString");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void skipImmutableCharacter() {
+		doSkipImmutableValue(new Character('x'));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void skipImmutableBoolean() {
+		doSkipImmutableValue(Boolean.TRUE);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void skipImmutableInteger() {
+		doSkipImmutableValue(new Integer(1));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void skipImmutableFloat() {
+		doSkipImmutableValue(new Float(1.1));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void skipImmutableBigInteger() {
+		doSkipImmutableValue(new BigInteger("1"));
+	}
+
+	private void doSkipImmutableValue(Object immutableValue) {
+		HttpServletRequest request = mock(HttpServletRequest.class);
+		HttpSession session = mock(HttpSession.class);
+		when(request.getSession(anyBoolean())).thenReturn(session);
+		when(session.getAttribute(KEY)).thenReturn(immutableValue);
+
+		ServletRequestAttributes attrs = new ServletRequestAttributes(request);
+		attrs.getAttribute(KEY, RequestAttributes.SCOPE_SESSION);
+		attrs.requestCompleted();
+
+		verify(session, times(2)).getAttribute(KEY);
+		verifyNoMoreInteractions(session);
+	}
+
 }