diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/RequestEntity.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/RequestEntity.java
index eb20ad4981..d03fb08025 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/RequestEntity.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/RequestEntity.java
@@ -19,12 +19,10 @@ package org.springframework.http;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.util.Arrays;
-import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.MultiValueMap;
 import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
-import org.springframework.web.util.UriTemplate;
 
 /**
  * Extension of {@link HttpEntity} that adds a {@linkplain HttpMethod method} and
@@ -35,10 +33,17 @@ import org.springframework.web.util.UriTemplate;
  * {@link org.springframework.web.client.RestTemplate#exchange(RequestEntity, Class) exchange()}:
  * <pre class="code">
  * MyRequest body = ...
- * RequestEntity&lt;MyRequest&gt; request = RequestEntity.post(&quot;http://example.com/{foo}&quot;, &quot;bar&quot;).accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON).body(body);
+ * RequestEntity&lt;MyRequest&gt; request = RequestEntity.post(new URI(&quot;http://example.com/bar&quot;).accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON).body(body);
  * ResponseEntity&lt;MyResponse&gt; response = template.exchange(request, MyResponse.class);
  * </pre>
  *
+ * <p>If you would like to provide a URI template with variables, consider using
+ * {@link org.springframework.web.util.UriTemplate}:
+ * <pre class="code">
+ * URI uri = new UriTemplate(&quot;http://example.com/{foo}&quot;").expand(&quot;bar&quot;);
+ * RequestEntity&lt;MyRequest&gt; request = RequestEntity.post(uri).accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON).body(body);
+ * </pre>
+ *
  * <p>Can also be used in Spring MVC, as a parameter in a @Controller method:
  * <pre class="code">
  * &#64;RequestMapping("/handle")
@@ -169,32 +174,6 @@ public class RequestEntity<T> extends HttpEntity<T> {
 
 	// Static builder methods
 
-	/**
-	 * Create a builder with the given method, url, and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param method the HTTP method (GET, POST, etc)
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static BodyBuilder method(HttpMethod method, String url, Object... uriVariables) {
-		URI expanded = new UriTemplate(url).expand(uriVariables);
-		return new DefaultBodyBuilder(method, expanded);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Create a builder with the given method, url, and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param method the HTTP method (GET, POST, etc)
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static BodyBuilder method(HttpMethod method, String url, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
-		URI expanded = new UriTemplate(url).expand(uriVariables);
-		return new DefaultBodyBuilder(method, expanded);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Create a builder with the given method and url.
 	 * @param method the HTTP method (GET, POST, etc)
@@ -205,31 +184,8 @@ public class RequestEntity<T> extends HttpEntity<T> {
 		return new DefaultBodyBuilder(method, url);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Create a GET builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static HeadersBuilder<?> get(String url, Object... uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.GET, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP GET builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static HeadersBuilder<?> get(String url, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.GET, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Create an HTTP GET builder with the given url.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
 	 * @param url the URL
 	 * @return the created builder
 	 */
@@ -237,28 +193,6 @@ public class RequestEntity<T> extends HttpEntity<T> {
 		return method(HttpMethod.GET, url);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP HEAD builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static HeadersBuilder<?> head(String url, Object... uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.HEAD, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP HEAD builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static HeadersBuilder<?> head(String url, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.HEAD, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Create an HTTP HEAD builder with the given url.
 	 * @param url the URL
@@ -268,28 +202,6 @@ public class RequestEntity<T> extends HttpEntity<T> {
 		return method(HttpMethod.HEAD, url);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP POST builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static BodyBuilder post(String url, Object... uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.POST, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP POST builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static BodyBuilder post(String url, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.POST, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Create an HTTP POST builder with the given url.
 	 * @param url the URL
@@ -299,28 +211,6 @@ public class RequestEntity<T> extends HttpEntity<T> {
 		return method(HttpMethod.POST, url);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP PUT builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static BodyBuilder put(String url, Object... uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.PUT, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP PUT builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static BodyBuilder put(String url, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.PUT, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Create an HTTP PUT builder with the given url.
 	 * @param url the URL
@@ -330,28 +220,6 @@ public class RequestEntity<T> extends HttpEntity<T> {
 		return method(HttpMethod.PUT, url);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP PATCH builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static BodyBuilder patch(String url, Object... uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.PATCH, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP PATCH builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static BodyBuilder patch(String url, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.PATCH, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Create an HTTP PATCH builder with the given url.
 	 * @param url the URL
@@ -361,28 +229,6 @@ public class RequestEntity<T> extends HttpEntity<T> {
 		return method(HttpMethod.PATCH, url);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP DELETE builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static HeadersBuilder<?> delete(String url, Object... uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.DELETE, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP DELETE builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static HeadersBuilder<?> delete(String url, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.DELETE, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Create an HTTP DELETE builder with the given url.
 	 * @param url the URL
@@ -392,28 +238,6 @@ public class RequestEntity<T> extends HttpEntity<T> {
 		return method(HttpMethod.DELETE, url);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Create an HTTP OPTIONS builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static HeadersBuilder<?> options(String url, Object... uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.OPTIONS, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Creates an HTTP OPTIONS builder with the given url and uri variables.
-	 * <p>URI Template variables are expanded using the given URI variables, if any.
-	 * @param url the URL
-	 * @param uriVariables the variables to expand in the template
-	 * @return the created builder
-	 */
-	public static HeadersBuilder<?> options(String url, Map<String, ?> uriVariables) {
-		return method(HttpMethod.OPTIONS, url, uriVariables);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Creates an HTTP OPTIONS builder with the given url.
 	 * @param url the URL
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/RequestEntityTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/RequestEntityTests.java
index 84f2f4783b..7409c412f3 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/RequestEntityTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/RequestEntityTests.java
@@ -22,18 +22,19 @@ import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.*;
-
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import org.springframework.web.util.UriTemplate;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
 /**
  * Unit tests for {@link org.springframework.http.RequestEntity}.
+ *
  * @author Arjen Poutsma
  */
 public class RequestEntityTests {
 
-
 	@Test
 	public void normal() throws URISyntaxException {
 		String headerName = "My-Custom-Header";
@@ -54,22 +55,24 @@ public class RequestEntityTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void uriVariablesExpansion() throws URISyntaxException {
-		RequestEntity.get("http://example.com/{foo}", "bar").accept(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN).build();
+		URI uri = new UriTemplate("http://example.com/{foo}").expand("bar");
+		RequestEntity.get(uri).accept(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN).build();
 
 		String url = "http://www.{host}.com/{path}";
 		String host = "example";
 		String path = "foo/bar";
-
 		URI expected = new URI("http://www.example.com/foo/bar");
 
-		RequestEntity<?> entity = RequestEntity.method(HttpMethod.GET, url, host, path).build();
+		uri = new UriTemplate(url).expand(host, path);
+		RequestEntity<?> entity = RequestEntity.get(uri).build();
 		assertEquals(expected, entity.getUrl());
 
 		Map<String, String> uriVariables = new HashMap<>(2);
 		uriVariables.put("host", host);
 		uriVariables.put("path", path);
 
-		entity = RequestEntity.method(HttpMethod.GET, url, uriVariables).build();
+		uri = new UriTemplate(url).expand(uriVariables);
+		entity = RequestEntity.get(uri).build();
 		assertEquals(expected, entity.getUrl());
 	}
 
@@ -94,7 +97,7 @@ public class RequestEntityTests {
 		long contentLength = 67890;
 		MediaType contentType = MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN;
 
-		RequestEntity<Void> responseEntity = RequestEntity.post("http://example.com").
+		RequestEntity<Void> responseEntity = RequestEntity.post(new URI("http://example.com")).
 				accept(accept).
 				acceptCharset(charset).
 				ifModifiedSince(ifModifiedSince).