diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java
index 3c4c4c50f5..cd9eed9634 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcher.java
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ public class AntPathMatcher implements PathMatcher {
 
 	@Override
 	public boolean isPattern(String path) {
-		if(path == null) {
+		if (path == null) {
 			return false;
 		}
 		boolean uriVar = false;
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ public class AntPathMatcher implements PathMatcher {
 	/**
 	 * Actually match the given {@code path} against the given {@code pattern}.
 	 * @param pattern the pattern to match against
-	 * @param path the path String to test
+	 * @param path the path to test
 	 * @param fullMatch whether a full pattern match is required (else a pattern match
 	 * as far as the given base path goes is sufficient)
 	 * @return {@code true} if the supplied {@code path} matched, {@code false} if it didn't
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ public class AntPathMatcher implements PathMatcher {
 	protected boolean doMatch(String pattern, String path, boolean fullMatch,
 			@Nullable Map<String, String> uriTemplateVariables) {
 
-		if (path == null || path.startsWith(this.pathSeparator) != pattern.startsWith(this.pathSeparator)) {
+		if ((path == null) || (path.startsWith(this.pathSeparator) != pattern.startsWith(this.pathSeparator))) {
 			return false;
 		}
 
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ public class AntPathMatcher implements PathMatcher {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Tokenize the given path String into parts, based on this matcher's settings.
+	 * Tokenize the given path into parts, based on this matcher's settings.
 	 * @param path the path to tokenize
 	 * @return the tokenized path parts
 	 */
diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/PathMatcher.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/PathMatcher.java
index e7567ea64f..5d711d00b2 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/PathMatcher.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/PathMatcher.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2018 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2019 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.
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public interface PathMatcher {
 	 * <p>If the return value is {@code false}, then the {@link #match}
 	 * method does not have to be used because direct equality comparisons
 	 * on the static path Strings will lead to the same result.
-	 * @param path the path String to check
+	 * @param path the path to check
 	 * @return {@code true} if the given {@code path} represents a pattern
 	 */
 	boolean isPattern(String path);
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public interface PathMatcher {
 	 * Match the given {@code path} against the given {@code pattern},
 	 * according to this PathMatcher's matching strategy.
 	 * @param pattern the pattern to match against
-	 * @param path the path String to test
+	 * @param path the path to test
 	 * @return {@code true} if the supplied {@code path} matched,
 	 * {@code false} if it didn't
 	 */
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public interface PathMatcher {
 	 * <p>Determines whether the pattern at least matches as far as the given base
 	 * path goes, assuming that a full path may then match as well.
 	 * @param pattern the pattern to match against
-	 * @param path the path String to test
+	 * @param path the path to test
 	 * @return {@code true} if the supplied {@code path} matched,
 	 * {@code false} if it didn't
 	 */
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java
index 747de65690..c3fff425bb 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/AntPathMatcherTests.java
@@ -130,7 +130,10 @@ public class AntPathMatcherTests {
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.match("", "")).isTrue();
 
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.match("/{bla}.*", "/testing.html")).isTrue();
+	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void matchWithNullPath() {
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.match("/test", null)).isFalse();
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.match("/", null)).isFalse();
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.match("/", null)).isFalse();
@@ -146,7 +149,7 @@ public class AntPathMatcherTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void withMatchStart() {
+	public void matchStart() {
 		// test exact matching
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.matchStart("test", "test")).isTrue();
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.matchStart("/test", "/test")).isTrue();
@@ -691,8 +694,13 @@ public class AntPathMatcherTests {
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.isPattern("/test/**/name")).isTrue();
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.isPattern("/test?")).isTrue();
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.isPattern("/test/{name}")).isTrue();
+
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.isPattern("/test/name")).isFalse();
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.isPattern("/test/foo{bar")).isFalse();
+	}
+
+	@Test // gh-23297
+	public void isPatternWithNullPath() {
 		assertThat(pathMatcher.isPattern(null)).isFalse();
 	}