diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/client/HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactory.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/client/HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactory.java
index 9810afe0e9..59101d4881 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/client/HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactory.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/client/HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactory.java
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import java.net.URI;
 import org.apache.http.client.HttpClient;
 import org.apache.http.client.config.RequestConfig;
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.Configurable;
-import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpDelete;
+import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpEntityEnclosingRequestBase;
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet;
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpHead;
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpOptions;
@@ -273,4 +273,25 @@ public class HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactory implements ClientHttpRequest
 		this.httpClient.close();
 	}
 
+
+	/**
+	 * An alternative to {@link org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpDelete} that
+	 * extends {@link org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpEntityEnclosingRequestBase}
+	 * rather than {@link org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpRequestBase} and
+	 * hence allows HTTP delete with a request body. For use with the RestTemplate
+	 * exchange methods which allow the combination of HTTP DELETE with entity.
+	 * @since 4.1.2
+	 */
+	private static class HttpDelete extends HttpEntityEnclosingRequestBase {
+
+		public HttpDelete(URI uri) {
+			super();
+			setURI(uri);
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public String getMethod() {
+			return "DELETE";
+		}
+	}
 }
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 6f14c1b220..e2dcb02563 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
@@ -199,7 +199,8 @@ public class SimpleClientHttpRequestFactory implements ClientHttpRequestFactory,
 		else {
 			connection.setInstanceFollowRedirects(false);
 		}
-		if ("PUT".equals(httpMethod) || "POST".equals(httpMethod) || "PATCH".equals(httpMethod)) {
+		if ("PUT".equals(httpMethod) || "POST".equals(httpMethod) ||
+				"PATCH".equals(httpMethod) || "DELETE".equals(httpMethod)) {
 			connection.setDoOutput(true);
 		}
 		else {
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/client/BufferedSimpleHttpRequestFactoryTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/client/BufferedSimpleHttpRequestFactoryTests.java
index c05fb85aeb..0bb1c30b03 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/client/BufferedSimpleHttpRequestFactoryTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/client/BufferedSimpleHttpRequestFactoryTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2012 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2014 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.
@@ -16,10 +16,14 @@
 
 package org.springframework.http.client;
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
 import java.net.ProtocolException;
+import java.net.URL;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
-
 import org.springframework.http.HttpMethod;
 
 public class BufferedSimpleHttpRequestFactoryTests extends AbstractHttpRequestFactoryTestCase {
@@ -40,4 +44,42 @@ public class BufferedSimpleHttpRequestFactoryTests extends AbstractHttpRequestFa
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void prepareConnectionWithRequestBody() throws Exception {
+		URL uri = new URL("http://example.com");
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, "GET", false);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, "HEAD", false);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, "OPTIONS", false);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, "TRACE", false);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, "PUT", true);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, "POST", true);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, "DELETE", true);
+	}
+
+	private void testRequestBodyAllowed(URL uri, String httpMethod, boolean allowed) throws IOException {
+		HttpURLConnection connection = new TestHttpURLConnection(uri);
+		((SimpleClientHttpRequestFactory) this.factory).prepareConnection(connection, httpMethod);
+		assertEquals(allowed, connection.getDoOutput());
+	}
+
+
+	private static class TestHttpURLConnection extends HttpURLConnection {
+
+		public TestHttpURLConnection(URL uri) {
+			super(uri);
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public void connect() throws IOException {
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public void disconnect() {
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public boolean usingProxy() {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/client/HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactoryTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/client/HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactoryTests.java
index fe0a9934b8..2e5fd6a9a8 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/client/HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactoryTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/client/HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactoryTests.java
@@ -16,20 +16,23 @@
 
 package org.springframework.http.client;
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
 import java.net.URI;
 
+import org.apache.http.HttpEntityEnclosingRequest;
 import org.apache.http.client.HttpClient;
 import org.apache.http.client.config.RequestConfig;
+import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpUriRequest;
 import org.apache.http.client.protocol.HttpClientContext;
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.DefaultHttpClient;
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClientBuilder;
 import org.apache.http.params.CoreConnectionPNames;
 import org.junit.Test;
-
 import org.springframework.http.HttpMethod;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.*;
-
 public class HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactoryTests extends AbstractHttpRequestFactoryTestCase {
 
 	@Override
@@ -73,6 +76,25 @@ public class HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactoryTests extends AbstractHttpReq
 		RequestConfig requestConfig = (RequestConfig) config;
 		assertEquals("Wrong custom connection timeout", 1234, requestConfig.getConnectTimeout());
 		assertEquals("Wrong custom socket timeout", 4567, requestConfig.getSocketTimeout());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void createHttpUriRequest() throws Exception {
+		URI uri = new URI("http://example.com");
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, HttpMethod.GET, false);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, HttpMethod.HEAD, false);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, HttpMethod.OPTIONS, false);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, HttpMethod.TRACE, false);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, HttpMethod.PUT, true);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, HttpMethod.POST, true);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, HttpMethod.PATCH, true);
+		testRequestBodyAllowed(uri, HttpMethod.DELETE, true);
 
 	}
+
+	private void testRequestBodyAllowed(URI uri, HttpMethod method, boolean allowed) {
+		HttpUriRequest request = ((HttpComponentsClientHttpRequestFactory) this.factory).createHttpUriRequest(method, uri);
+		assertEquals(allowed, request instanceof HttpEntityEnclosingRequest);
+	}
+
 }