diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/client/SimpleClientHttpRequestFactory.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/client/SimpleClientHttpRequestFactory.java
index 36d794f154..4674df6e47 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/client/SimpleClientHttpRequestFactory.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/client/SimpleClientHttpRequestFactory.java
@@ -186,7 +186,8 @@ public class SimpleClientHttpRequestFactory implements ClientHttpRequestFactory,
 	protected HttpURLConnection openConnection(URL url, @Nullable Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
 		URLConnection urlConnection = (proxy != null ? url.openConnection(proxy) : url.openConnection());
 		if (!(urlConnection instanceof HttpURLConnection)) {
-			throw new IllegalStateException("HttpURLConnection required for [" + url + "] but got: " + urlConnection);
+			throw new IllegalStateException(
+					"HttpURLConnection required for [" + url + "] but got: " + urlConnection);
 		}
 		return (HttpURLConnection) urlConnection;
 	}
@@ -206,13 +207,13 @@ public class SimpleClientHttpRequestFactory implements ClientHttpRequestFactory,
 			connection.setReadTimeout(this.readTimeout);
 		}
 
+		boolean mayWrite =
+				("POST".equals(httpMethod) || "PUT".equals(httpMethod) ||
+						"PATCH".equals(httpMethod) || "DELETE".equals(httpMethod));
+
 		connection.setDoInput(true);
-
 		connection.setInstanceFollowRedirects("GET".equals(httpMethod));
-
-		connection.setDoOutput("POST".equals(httpMethod) || "PUT".equals(httpMethod) ||
-				"PATCH".equals(httpMethod) || "DELETE".equals(httpMethod));
-
+		connection.setDoOutput(mayWrite);
 		connection.setRequestMethod(httpMethod);
 	}