diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/AbstractRepositoryRestController.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/AbstractRepositoryRestController.java
index 4a1ef352b..48167a1fa 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/AbstractRepositoryRestController.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/AbstractRepositoryRestController.java
@@ -20,12 +20,14 @@ import static org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.ControllerUtils.*;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 import org.springframework.data.auditing.AuditableBeanWrapperFactory;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Page;
 import org.springframework.data.rest.core.mapping.ResourceMetadata;
 import org.springframework.data.web.PagedResourcesAssembler;
 import org.springframework.hateoas.Link;
+import org.springframework.hateoas.PagedResources;
 import org.springframework.hateoas.Resource;
 import org.springframework.hateoas.Resources;
 import org.springframework.hateoas.core.EmbeddedWrappers;
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ class AbstractRepositoryRestController {
 
 	@SuppressWarnings({ "unchecked" })
 	protected Resources<?> toResources(Iterable<?> source, PersistentEntityResourceAssembler assembler,
-			Class<?> domainType, Link baseLink) {
+			Class<?> domainType, Optional<Link> baseLink) {
 
 		if (source instanceof Page) {
 			Page<Object> page = (Page<Object>) source;
@@ -82,14 +84,15 @@ class AbstractRepositoryRestController {
 	}
 
 	protected Resources<?> entitiesToResources(Page<Object> page, PersistentEntityResourceAssembler assembler,
-			Class<?> domainType, Link baseLink) {
+			Class<?> domainType, Optional<Link> baseLink) {
 
 		if (page.getContent().isEmpty()) {
-			return pagedResourcesAssembler.toEmptyResource(page, domainType, baseLink);
+			return baseLink.<PagedResources<?>> map(it -> pagedResourcesAssembler.toEmptyResource(page, domainType, it))//
+					.orElseGet(() -> pagedResourcesAssembler.toEmptyResource(page, domainType));
 		}
 
-		return baseLink == null ? pagedResourcesAssembler.toResource(page, assembler)
-				: pagedResourcesAssembler.toResource(page, assembler, baseLink);
+		return baseLink.map(it -> pagedResourcesAssembler.toResource(page, assembler, it))//
+				.orElseGet(() -> pagedResourcesAssembler.toResource(page, assembler));
 	}
 
 	protected Resources<?> entitiesToResources(Iterable<Object> entities, PersistentEntityResourceAssembler assembler,
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryEntityController.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryEntityController.java
index d821d2011..761223533 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryEntityController.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryEntityController.java
@@ -203,8 +203,8 @@ class RepositoryEntityController extends AbstractRepositoryRestController implem
 				: invoker.invokeFindAll(sort);
 
 		ResourceMetadata metadata = resourceInformation.getResourceMetadata();
-		Link baseLink = entityLinks.linkToPagedResource(resourceInformation.getDomainType(),
-				pageable.isDefault() ? null : pageable.getPageable());
+		Optional<Link> baseLink = Optional.of(entityLinks.linkToPagedResource(resourceInformation.getDomainType(),
+				pageable.isDefault() ? null : pageable.getPageable()));
 
 		Resources<?> result = toResources(results, assembler, metadata.getDomainType(), baseLink);
 		result.add(getCollectionResourceLinks(resourceInformation, pageable));
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceController.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceController.java
index 55d84c0a0..e2dbefcfb 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceController.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositoryPropertyReferenceController.java
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class RepositoryPropertyReferenceController extends AbstractRepositoryRestContro
 
 			if (prop.property.isCollectionLike()) {
 
-				return toResources((Iterable<?>) it, assembler, prop.propertyType, null);
+				return toResources((Iterable<?>) it, assembler, prop.propertyType, Optional.empty());
 
 			} else if (prop.property.isMap()) {
 
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositorySearchController.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositorySearchController.java
index 339b72e90..cadc91225 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositorySearchController.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/RepositorySearchController.java
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ class RepositorySearchController extends AbstractRepositoryRestController {
 		MethodResourceMapping methodMapping = searchMappings.getExportedMethodMappingForPath(search);
 		Class<?> domainType = methodMapping.getReturnedDomainType();
 
-		return toResource(result, assembler, domainType, null, headers, resourceInformation);
+		return toResource(result, assembler, domainType, Optional.empty(), headers, resourceInformation);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ class RepositorySearchController extends AbstractRepositoryRestController {
 	 * @return
 	 */
 	protected ResponseEntity<?> toResource(Optional<Object> source, final PersistentEntityResourceAssembler assembler,
-			Class<?> domainType, Link baseLink, HttpHeaders headers, RootResourceInformation information) {
+			Class<?> domainType, Optional<Link> baseLink, HttpHeaders headers, RootResourceInformation information) {
 
 		return source.map(it -> {
 
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ class RepositorySearchController extends AbstractRepositoryRestController {
 		Optional<Object> result = executeQueryMethod(resourceInformation.getInvoker(), parameters, method, pageable, sort,
 				assembler);
 		ResourceMetadata metadata = resourceInformation.getResourceMetadata();
-		ResponseEntity<?> entity = toResource(result, assembler, metadata.getDomainType(), null, headers,
+		ResponseEntity<?> entity = toResource(result, assembler, metadata.getDomainType(), Optional.empty(), headers,
 				resourceInformation);
 		Object resource = entity.getBody();