diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/annotation/support/SendToMethodReturnValueHandler.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/annotation/support/SendToMethodReturnValueHandler.java
index 896362180e..dd0b521690 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/annotation/support/SendToMethodReturnValueHandler.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/annotation/support/SendToMethodReturnValueHandler.java
@@ -188,11 +188,11 @@ public class SendToMethodReturnValueHandler implements HandlerMethodReturnValueH
 			}
 		}
 		String name = DestinationPatternsMessageCondition.LOOKUP_DESTINATION_HEADER;
-		String destination = (String)message.getHeaders().get(name);
-		if (StringUtils.hasLength(destination) && !destination.startsWith("/")) {
-			destination = "/" + destination;
-		}
-		return new String[] { defaultPrefix + destination };
+		String destination = (String) message.getHeaders().get(name);
+		Assert.hasText(destination, "No lookup destination header in " + message);
+
+		return (destination.startsWith("/") ?
+				new String[] {defaultPrefix + destination} : new String[] {defaultPrefix + "/" + destination});
 	}
 
 	private MessageHeaders createHeaders(String sessionId) {
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/annotation/support/SendToMethodReturnValueHandlerTests.java b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/annotation/support/SendToMethodReturnValueHandlerTests.java
index 4635c41c4b..865849ea99 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/annotation/support/SendToMethodReturnValueHandlerTests.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/annotation/support/SendToMethodReturnValueHandlerTests.java
@@ -186,18 +186,18 @@ public class SendToMethodReturnValueHandlerTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void sendToDefaultDestinationWithoutLeadingSlash() throws Exception {
+	public void sendToDefaultDestinationWhenUsingDotPathSeparator() throws Exception {
 
 		when(this.messageChannel.send(any(Message.class))).thenReturn(true);
 
-		Message<?> inputMessage = createInputMessage("sess1", "sub1", "/app", "dest", null);
+		Message<?> inputMessage = createInputMessage("sess1", "sub1", "/app/", "dest.foo.bar", null);
 		this.handler.handleReturnValue(PAYLOAD, this.sendToDefaultDestReturnType, inputMessage);
 
 		verify(this.messageChannel, times(1)).send(this.messageCaptor.capture());
 
 		Message<?> message = this.messageCaptor.getAllValues().get(0);
 		SimpMessageHeaderAccessor headers = SimpMessageHeaderAccessor.wrap(message);
-		assertEquals("/topic/dest", headers.getDestination());
+		assertEquals("/topic/dest.foo.bar", headers.getDestination());
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -313,19 +313,19 @@ public class SendToMethodReturnValueHandlerTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void sendToUserDefaultDestinationWithoutLeadingSlash() throws Exception {
+	public void sendToUserDefaultDestinationWhenUsingDotPathSeparator() throws Exception {
 
 		when(this.messageChannel.send(any(Message.class))).thenReturn(true);
 
 		TestUser user = new TestUser();
-		Message<?> inputMessage = createInputMessage("sess1", "sub1", "/app", "dest", user);
+		Message<?> inputMessage = createInputMessage("sess1", "sub1", "/app/", "dest.foo.bar", user);
 		this.handler.handleReturnValue(PAYLOAD, this.sendToUserDefaultDestReturnType, inputMessage);
 
 		verify(this.messageChannel, times(1)).send(this.messageCaptor.capture());
 
 		Message<?> message = this.messageCaptor.getAllValues().get(0);
 		SimpMessageHeaderAccessor headers = SimpMessageHeaderAccessor.wrap(message);
-		assertEquals("/user/" + user.getName() + "/queue/dest", headers.getDestination());
+		assertEquals("/user/" + user.getName() + "/queue/dest.foo.bar", headers.getDestination());
 	}
 
 	@Test