diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/RequestMappingInfoHandlerMapping.java b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/RequestMappingInfoHandlerMapping.java
index cc242bf756..89fcb4e9e1 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/RequestMappingInfoHandlerMapping.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/RequestMappingInfoHandlerMapping.java
@@ -205,7 +205,12 @@ public abstract class RequestMappingInfoHandlerMapping extends AbstractHandlerMe
 		if (!consumableMediaTypes.isEmpty()) {
 			MediaType contentType = null;
 			if (StringUtils.hasLength(request.getContentType())) {
-				contentType = MediaType.parseMediaType(request.getContentType());
+				try {
+					contentType = MediaType.parseMediaType(request.getContentType());
+				}
+				catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
+					throw new HttpMediaTypeNotSupportedException(ex.getMessage());
+				}
 			}
 			throw new HttpMediaTypeNotSupportedException(contentType, new ArrayList<MediaType>(consumableMediaTypes));
 		}
diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/RequestMappingInfoHandlerMappingTests.java b/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/RequestMappingInfoHandlerMappingTests.java
index 0998bf59f0..099197c07d 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/RequestMappingInfoHandlerMappingTests.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/RequestMappingInfoHandlerMappingTests.java
@@ -180,6 +180,19 @@ public class RequestMappingInfoHandlerMappingTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testMediaTypeNotValue() throws Exception {
+		try {
+			MockHttpServletRequest request = new MockHttpServletRequest("PUT", "/person/1");
+			request.setContentType("bogus");
+			this.handlerMapping.getHandler(request);
+			fail("HttpMediaTypeNotSupportedException expected");
+		}
+		catch (HttpMediaTypeNotSupportedException ex) {
+			assertEquals("Invalid media type \"bogus\": does not contain '/'", ex.getMessage());
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void mediaTypeNotAccepted() throws Exception {
 		testMediaTypeNotAccepted("/persons");