diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/converter/AbstractHttpMessageConverter.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/converter/AbstractHttpMessageConverter.java
index 52a09c4755..6828953245 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/converter/AbstractHttpMessageConverter.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/converter/AbstractHttpMessageConverter.java
@@ -101,8 +101,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractHttpMessageConverter<T> implements HttpMessageConv
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Returns true if any of the {@linkplain #setSupportedMediaTypes(List) supported media types}
-	 * include the given media type.
+	 * Returns true if any of the {@linkplain #setSupportedMediaTypes(List)
+	 * supported} media types {@link MediaType#includes(MediaType) include} the
+	 * given media type.
 	 * @param mediaType the media type to read, can be {@code null} if not specified.
 	 * Typically the value of a {@code Content-Type} header.
 	 * @return {@code true} if the supported media types include the media type,
@@ -121,8 +122,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractHttpMessageConverter<T> implements HttpMessageConv
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * This implementation checks if the given class is {@linkplain #supports(Class) supported},
-	 * and if the {@linkplain #getSupportedMediaTypes() supported media types}
+	 * This implementation checks if the given class is
+	 * {@linkplain #supports(Class) supported}, and if the
+	 * {@linkplain #getSupportedMediaTypes() supported} media types
 	 * {@linkplain MediaType#includes(MediaType) include} the given media type.
 	 */
 	@Override
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/converter/HttpMessageConverterTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/converter/HttpMessageConverterTests.java
index 83c8dc91da..10a52d919d 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/converter/HttpMessageConverterTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/converter/HttpMessageConverterTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2014 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2015 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.
@@ -24,43 +24,55 @@ import org.springframework.http.HttpInputMessage;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpOutputMessage;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 /**
  * Test-case for AbstractHttpMessageConverter.
  *
  * @author Arjen Poutsma
+ * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
  */
 public class HttpMessageConverterTests {
 
-	private static final MediaType MEDIA_TYPE = new MediaType("foo", "bar");
 
 	@Test
 	public void canRead() {
-		AbstractHttpMessageConverter<MyType> converter = new MyHttpMessageConverter<MyType>(MEDIA_TYPE) {
-			@Override
-			protected boolean supports(Class<?> clazz) {
-				return MyType.class.equals(clazz);
-			}
+		MediaType mediaType = new MediaType("foo", "bar");
+		HttpMessageConverter<MyType> converter = new MyHttpMessageConverter<MyType>(mediaType);
 
-		};
-
-		assertTrue(converter.canRead(MyType.class, MEDIA_TYPE));
+		assertTrue(converter.canRead(MyType.class, mediaType));
 		assertFalse(converter.canRead(MyType.class, new MediaType("foo", "*")));
 		assertFalse(converter.canRead(MyType.class, MediaType.ALL));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void canReadWithWildcardSubtype() {
+		MediaType mediaType = new MediaType("foo");
+		HttpMessageConverter<MyType> converter = new MyHttpMessageConverter<MyType>(mediaType);
+
+		assertTrue(converter.canRead(MyType.class, new MediaType("foo", "bar")));
+		assertTrue(converter.canRead(MyType.class, new MediaType("foo", "*")));
+		assertFalse(converter.canRead(MyType.class, MediaType.ALL));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void canWrite() {
-		AbstractHttpMessageConverter<MyType> converter = new MyHttpMessageConverter<MyType>(MEDIA_TYPE) {
-			@Override
-			protected boolean supports(Class<?> clazz) {
-				return MyType.class.equals(clazz);
-			}
+		MediaType mediaType = new MediaType("foo", "bar");
+		HttpMessageConverter<MyType> converter = new MyHttpMessageConverter<MyType>(mediaType);
 
-		};
+		assertTrue(converter.canWrite(MyType.class, mediaType));
+		assertTrue(converter.canWrite(MyType.class, new MediaType("foo", "*")));
+		assertTrue(converter.canWrite(MyType.class, MediaType.ALL));
+	}
 
-		assertTrue(converter.canWrite(MyType.class, MEDIA_TYPE));
+	@Test
+	public void canWriteWithWildcardInSupportedSubtype() {
+		MediaType mediaType = new MediaType("foo");
+		HttpMessageConverter<MyType> converter = new MyHttpMessageConverter<MyType>(mediaType);
+
+		assertTrue(converter.canWrite(MyType.class, new MediaType("foo", "bar")));
 		assertTrue(converter.canWrite(MyType.class, new MediaType("foo", "*")));
 		assertTrue(converter.canWrite(MyType.class, MediaType.ALL));
 	}
@@ -74,8 +86,7 @@ public class HttpMessageConverterTests {
 
 		@Override
 		protected boolean supports(Class<?> clazz) {
-			fail("Not expected");
-			return false;
+			return MyType.class.equals(clazz);
 		}
 
 		@Override