diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/ClientResponse.java b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/ClientResponse.java
index 66702daba8..4b0170e0eb 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/ClientResponse.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/ClientResponse.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
 import org.springframework.http.ResponseCookie;
-import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
 import org.springframework.http.client.reactive.ClientHttpResponse;
 import org.springframework.util.MultiValueMap;
 import org.springframework.web.reactive.function.BodyExtractor;
@@ -89,14 +88,6 @@ public interface ClientResponse {
 	 */
 	<T> Flux<T> bodyToFlux(Class<? extends T> elementClass);
 
-	/**
-	 * Converts this {@code ClientResponse} into a {@code ResponseEntity}.
-	 * @param responseClass the type of response contained in the {@code ResponseEntity}
-	 * @param <T> the response type
-	 * @return a mono containing the response entity
-	 */
-	<T> Mono<ResponseEntity<T>> toResponseEntity(Class<T> responseClass);
-
 
 	/**
 	 * Represents the headers of the HTTP response.
diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultClientResponse.java b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultClientResponse.java
index 33fa0f315d..a64be4599e 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultClientResponse.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultClientResponse.java
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
 import org.springframework.http.ResponseCookie;
-import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
 import org.springframework.http.client.reactive.ClientHttpResponse;
 import org.springframework.http.codec.HttpMessageReader;
 import org.springframework.util.MultiValueMap;
@@ -101,12 +100,6 @@ class DefaultClientResponse implements ClientResponse {
 		return bodyToPublisher(BodyExtractors.toFlux(elementClass), Flux::error);
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	public <T> Mono<ResponseEntity<T>> toResponseEntity(Class<T> responseClass) {
-		return bodyToMono(responseClass)
-				.map(t -> new ResponseEntity<>(t, headers().asHttpHeaders(), statusCode()));
-	}
-
 	private <T extends Publisher<?>> T bodyToPublisher(
 			BodyExtractor<T, ? super ClientHttpResponse> extractor,
 			Function<WebClientException, T> errorFunction) {
diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java
index 54373192c9..ce43790f59 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import java.time.ZoneId;
 import java.time.ZonedDateTime;
 import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 
@@ -32,12 +33,11 @@ import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpMethod;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
+import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
 import org.springframework.http.client.reactive.ClientHttpRequest;
-import org.springframework.http.client.reactive.ClientHttpResponse;
 import org.springframework.util.CollectionUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.LinkedMultiValueMap;
 import org.springframework.util.MultiValueMap;
-import org.springframework.web.reactive.function.BodyExtractor;
 import org.springframework.web.reactive.function.BodyInserter;
 import org.springframework.web.reactive.function.BodyInserters;
 import org.springframework.web.util.DefaultUriBuilderFactory;
@@ -330,19 +330,48 @@ class DefaultWebClient implements WebClient {
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public <T> Mono<T> retrieve(BodyExtractor<T, ? super ClientHttpResponse> extractor) {
-			return exchange().map(clientResponse -> clientResponse.body(extractor));
-		}
-
-		@Override
-		public <T> Mono<T> retrieveMono(Class<T> responseType) {
-			return exchange().then(clientResponse -> clientResponse.bodyToMono(responseType));
-		}
-
-		@Override
-		public <T> Flux<T> retrieveFlux(Class<T> responseType) {
-			return exchange().flatMap(clientResponse -> clientResponse.bodyToFlux(responseType));
+		public ResponseSpec retrieve() {
+			return new DefaultResponseSpec(exchange());
 		}
 	}
 
+	private static class DefaultResponseSpec implements ResponseSpec {
+
+		private final Mono<ClientResponse> responseMono;
+
+
+		DefaultResponseSpec(Mono<ClientResponse> responseMono) {
+			this.responseMono = responseMono;
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public <T> Mono<T> bodyToMono(Class<T> bodyType) {
+			return this.responseMono.then(clientResponse -> clientResponse.bodyToMono(bodyType));
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public <T> Flux<T> bodyToFlux(Class<T> elementType) {
+			return this.responseMono.flatMap(clientResponse -> clientResponse.bodyToFlux(elementType));
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public <T> Mono<ResponseEntity<T>> bodyToEntity(Class<T> bodyType) {
+			return this.responseMono.then(response ->
+					response.bodyToMono(bodyType).map(body -> {
+						HttpHeaders headers = response.headers().asHttpHeaders();
+						return new ResponseEntity<>(body, headers, response.statusCode());
+					})
+			);
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public <T> Mono<ResponseEntity<List<T>>> bodyToEntityList(Class<T> responseType) {
+			return this.responseMono.then(response ->
+					response.bodyToFlux(responseType).collectList().map(body -> {
+						HttpHeaders headers = response.headers().asHttpHeaders();
+						return new ResponseEntity<>(body, headers, response.statusCode());
+					})
+			);
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClient.java b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClient.java
index 0da41102df..d9e486d7eb 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClient.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClient.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package org.springframework.web.reactive.function.client;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.time.ZonedDateTime;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 
@@ -29,11 +30,10 @@ import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpMethod;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
+import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
 import org.springframework.http.client.reactive.ClientHttpConnector;
 import org.springframework.http.client.reactive.ClientHttpRequest;
-import org.springframework.http.client.reactive.ClientHttpResponse;
 import org.springframework.util.MultiValueMap;
-import org.springframework.web.reactive.function.BodyExtractor;
 import org.springframework.web.reactive.function.BodyInserter;
 import org.springframework.web.util.UriBuilder;
 import org.springframework.web.util.UriBuilderFactory;
@@ -372,42 +372,53 @@ public interface WebClient {
 		S headers(HttpHeaders headers);
 
 		/**
-		 * Exchange the built request for a delayed {@code ClientResponse}.
+		 * Exchange the request for a {@code ClientResponse} with full access
+		 * to the response status and headers before extracting the body.
+		 *
+		 * <p>Use {@link Mono#then(Function)} or {@link Mono#flatMap(Function)}
+		 * to compose further on the response:
+		 *
+		 * <pre>
+		 *	Mono&lt;Pojo&gt; mono = client.get().uri("/")
+		 *		.accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
+		 *		.exchange()
+		 *		.then(response -> response.bodyToMono(Pojo.class));
+		 *
+		 *	Flux&lt;Pojo&gt; flux = client.get().uri("/")
+		 *		.accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_STREAM_JSON)
+		 *		.exchange()
+		 *		.then(response -> response.bodyToFlux(Pojo.class));
+		 * </pre>
+		 *
 		 * @return a {@code Mono} with the response
 		 */
 		Mono<ClientResponse> exchange();
 
 		/**
-		 * Execute the built request, and use the given extractor to return the response body as a
-		 * delayed {@code T}.
-		 * @param extractor the extractor for the response body
-		 * @param <T> the response type
-		 * @return the body of the response, extracted with {@code extractor}
+		 * A variant of {@link #exchange()} that provides the shortest path to
+		 * retrieving the full response (i.e. status, headers, and body) where
+		 * instead of returning {@code Mono<ClientResponse>} it exposes shortcut
+		 * methods to extract the response body.
+		 *
+		 * <p>Use of this method is simpler when you don't need to deal directly
+		 * with {@link ClientResponse}, e.g. to use a custom {@code BodyExtractor}
+		 * or to check the status and headers before extracting the response.
+		 *
+		 * <pre>
+		 *	Mono&lt;Pojo&gt; bodyMono = client.get().uri("/")
+		 *		.accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
+		 *		.retrieve()
+		 *		.bodyToMono(Pojo.class);
+		 *
+		 *	Mono&lt;ResponseEntity&lt;Pojo&gt;&gt; entityMono = client.get().uri("/")
+		 *		.accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
+		 *		.retrieve()
+		 *		.bodyToEntity(Pojo.class);
+		 * </pre>
+		 *
+		 * @return spec with options for extracting the response body
 		 */
-		<T> Mono<T> retrieve(BodyExtractor<T, ? super ClientHttpResponse> extractor);
-
-		/**
-		 * Execute the built request, and return the response body as a delayed {@code T}.
-		 * <p>This method is a convenient shortcut for {@link #retrieve(BodyExtractor)} with a
-		 * {@linkplain org.springframework.web.reactive.function.BodyExtractors#toMono(Class)
-		 * Mono body extractor}.
-		 * @param responseType the class of the response
-		 * @param <T> the response type
-		 * @return the body of the response
-		 */
-		<T> Mono<T> retrieveMono(Class<T> responseType);
-
-		/**
-		 * Execute the built request, and return the response body as a delayed sequence of
-		 * {@code T}'s.
-		 * <p>This method is a convenient shortcut for {@link #retrieve(BodyExtractor)} with a
-		 * {@linkplain org.springframework.web.reactive.function.BodyExtractors#toFlux(Class)}
-		 * Flux body extractor}.
-		 * @param responseType the class of the response
-		 * @param <T> the response type
-		 * @return the body of the response
-		 */
-		<T> Flux<T> retrieveFlux(Class<T> responseType);
+		ResponseSpec retrieve();
 
 	}
 
@@ -465,4 +476,48 @@ public interface WebClient {
 
 	}
 
+	interface ResponseSpec {
+
+		/**
+		 * Extract the response body to an Object of type {@code <T>} by
+		 * invoking {@link ClientResponse#bodyToMono(Class)}.
+		 *
+		 * @param bodyType the expected response body type
+		 * @param <T> response body type
+		 * @return {@code Mono} with the result
+		 */
+		<T> Mono<T> bodyToMono(Class<T> bodyType);
+
+		/**
+		 * Extract the response body to a stream of Objects of type {@code <T>}
+		 * by invoking {@link ClientResponse#bodyToFlux(Class)}.
+		 *
+		 * @param elementType the type of element in the response
+		 * @param <T> the type of elements in the response
+		 * @return the body of the response
+		 */
+		<T> Flux<T> bodyToFlux(Class<T> elementType);
+
+		/**
+		 * A variant of {@link #bodyToMono(Class)} that also provides access to
+		 * the response status and headers.
+		 *
+		 * @param bodyType the expected response body type
+		 * @param <T> response body type
+		 * @return {@code Mono} with the result
+		 */
+		<T> Mono<ResponseEntity<T>> bodyToEntity(Class<T> bodyType);
+
+		/**
+		 * A variant of {@link #bodyToFlux(Class)} collected via
+		 * {@link Flux#collectList()} and wrapped in {@code ResponseEntity}.
+		 *
+		 * @param elementType the expected response body list element type
+		 * @param <T> the type of elements in the list
+		 * @return {@code Mono} with the result
+		 */
+		<T> Mono<ResponseEntity<List<T>>> bodyToEntityList(Class<T> elementType);
+
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClientIntegrationTests.java b/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClientIntegrationTests.java
index c6a3b204a9..68d94b9772 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClientIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClientIntegrationTests.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 package org.springframework.web.reactive.function.client;
 
 import java.time.Duration;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.List;
 
 import okhttp3.mockwebserver.MockResponse;
 import okhttp3.mockwebserver.MockWebServer;
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@ import reactor.test.StepVerifier;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
+import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
 import org.springframework.http.codec.Pojo;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
@@ -142,7 +145,8 @@ public class WebClientIntegrationTests {
 		Mono<String> result = this.webClient.get()
 				.uri("/json")
 				.accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
-				.retrieveMono(String.class);
+				.retrieve()
+				.bodyToMono(String.class);
 
 		StepVerifier.create(result)
 				.expectNext(content)
@@ -155,6 +159,63 @@ public class WebClientIntegrationTests {
 		Assert.assertEquals("application/json", recordedRequest.getHeader(HttpHeaders.ACCEPT));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void jsonStringRetrieveEntity() throws Exception {
+		String content = "{\"bar\":\"barbar\",\"foo\":\"foofoo\"}";
+		this.server.enqueue(new MockResponse().setHeader("Content-Type", "application/json")
+				.setBody(content));
+
+		Mono<ResponseEntity<String>> result = this.webClient.get()
+				.uri("/json")
+				.accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
+				.retrieve()
+				.bodyToEntity(String.class);
+
+		StepVerifier.create(result)
+				.consumeNextWith(entity -> {
+					assertEquals(HttpStatus.OK, entity.getStatusCode());
+					assertEquals(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON, entity.getHeaders().getContentType());
+					assertEquals(31, entity.getHeaders().getContentLength());
+					assertEquals(content, entity.getBody());
+				})
+				.expectComplete()
+				.verify(Duration.ofSeconds(3));
+
+		RecordedRequest recordedRequest = server.takeRequest();
+		Assert.assertEquals(1, server.getRequestCount());
+		Assert.assertEquals("/json", recordedRequest.getPath());
+		Assert.assertEquals("application/json", recordedRequest.getHeader(HttpHeaders.ACCEPT));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void jsonStringRetrieveEntityList() throws Exception {
+		String content = "[{\"bar\":\"bar1\",\"foo\":\"foo1\"}, {\"bar\":\"bar2\",\"foo\":\"foo2\"}]";
+		this.server.enqueue(new MockResponse().setHeader("Content-Type", "application/json").setBody(content));
+
+		Mono<ResponseEntity<List<Pojo>>> result = this.webClient.get()
+				.uri("/json")
+				.accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
+				.retrieve()
+				.bodyToEntityList(Pojo.class);
+
+		StepVerifier.create(result)
+				.consumeNextWith(entity -> {
+					assertEquals(HttpStatus.OK, entity.getStatusCode());
+					assertEquals(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON, entity.getHeaders().getContentType());
+					assertEquals(58, entity.getHeaders().getContentLength());
+					Pojo pojo1 = new Pojo("foo1", "bar1");
+					Pojo pojo2 = new Pojo("foo2", "bar2");
+					assertEquals(Arrays.asList(pojo1, pojo2), entity.getBody());
+				})
+				.expectComplete()
+				.verify(Duration.ofSeconds(3));
+
+		RecordedRequest recordedRequest = server.takeRequest();
+		Assert.assertEquals(1, server.getRequestCount());
+		Assert.assertEquals("/json", recordedRequest.getPath());
+		Assert.assertEquals("application/json", recordedRequest.getHeader(HttpHeaders.ACCEPT));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void jsonStringRetrieveFlux() throws Exception {
 		String content = "{\"bar\":\"barbar\",\"foo\":\"foofoo\"}";
@@ -164,7 +225,8 @@ public class WebClientIntegrationTests {
 		Flux<String> result = this.webClient.get()
 				.uri("/json")
 				.accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
-				.retrieveFlux(String.class);
+				.retrieve()
+				.bodyToFlux(String.class);
 
 		StepVerifier.create(result)
 				.expectNext(content)