diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/ResponseStatusExceptionResolver.java b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/ResponseStatusExceptionResolver.java
index ae7a851d00..48e3516eb8 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/ResponseStatusExceptionResolver.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/annotation/ResponseStatusExceptionResolver.java
@@ -29,10 +29,16 @@ import org.springframework.web.servlet.ModelAndView;
 import org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.AbstractHandlerExceptionResolver;
 
 /**
- * Implementation of the {@link org.springframework.web.servlet.HandlerExceptionResolver HandlerExceptionResolver}
- * interface that uses the {@link ResponseStatus @ResponseStatus} annotation to map exceptions to HTTP status codes.
+ * A {@link org.springframework.web.servlet.HandlerExceptionResolver
+ * HandlerExceptionResolver} that uses the {@link ResponseStatus @ResponseStatus}
+ * annotation to map exceptions to HTTP status codes.
  *
- * <p>This exception resolver is enabled by default in the {@link org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet}.
+ * <p>This exception resolver is enabled by default in the
+ * {@link org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet DispatcherServlet}
+ * and the MVC Java config and the MVC namespace.
+ *
+ * <p>As of 4.2 this resolver also looks recursively for {@code @ResponseStatus}
+ * present on cause exceptions.
  *
  * @author Arjen Poutsma
  * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
@@ -69,16 +75,22 @@ public class ResponseStatusExceptionResolver extends AbstractHandlerExceptionRes
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Template method that handles {@link ResponseStatus @ResponseStatus} annotation. <p>Default implementation send a
-	 * response error using {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError(int)}, or {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError(int,
-	 * String)} if the annotation has a {@linkplain ResponseStatus#reason() reason}. Returns an empty ModelAndView.
+	 * Template method that handles {@link ResponseStatus @ResponseStatus} annotation.
+	 *
+	 * <p>Default implementation send a response error using
+	 * {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError(int)} or
+	 * {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError(int, String)} if the annotation has a
+	 * {@linkplain ResponseStatus#reason() reason} and then returns an empty ModelAndView.
+	 *
 	 * @param responseStatus the annotation
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
-	 * @param handler the executed handler, or {@code null} if none chosen at the time of the exception
-	 * (for example, if multipart resolution failed)
-	 * @param ex the exception that got thrown during handler execution
-	 * @return a corresponding ModelAndView to forward to, or {@code null} for default processing
+	 * @param handler the executed handler, or {@code null} if none chosen at the
+	 * time of the exception (for example, if multipart resolution failed)
+	 * @param ex the exception that got thrown during handler execution or the
+	 * exception that has the ResponseStatus annotation if found on the cause.
+	 * @return a corresponding ModelAndView to forward to, or {@code null}
+	 * for default processing
 	 */
 	protected ModelAndView resolveResponseStatus(ResponseStatus responseStatus, HttpServletRequest request,
 			HttpServletResponse response, Object handler, Exception ex) throws Exception {