diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java
index ea41cc80b5..f27e81ac80 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java
@@ -374,6 +374,7 @@ public abstract class AnnotationUtils {
 		RepeatableContainers repeatableContainers = (containerAnnotationType != null ?
 				RepeatableContainers.of(annotationType, containerAnnotationType) :
 				RepeatableContainers.standardRepeatables());
+
 		return MergedAnnotations.from(annotatedElement, SearchStrategy.SUPERCLASS, repeatableContainers)
 				.stream(annotationType)
 				.filter(MergedAnnotationPredicates.firstRunOf(MergedAnnotation::getAggregateIndex))
@@ -455,6 +456,7 @@ public abstract class AnnotationUtils {
 		RepeatableContainers repeatableContainers = containerAnnotationType != null ?
 				RepeatableContainers.of(annotationType, containerAnnotationType) :
 				RepeatableContainers.standardRepeatables();
+
 		return MergedAnnotations.from(annotatedElement, SearchStrategy.DIRECT, repeatableContainers)
 				.stream(annotationType)
 				.map(MergedAnnotation::withNonMergedAttributes)
@@ -484,11 +486,13 @@ public abstract class AnnotationUtils {
 		if (annotationType == null) {
 			return null;
 		}
+
 		// Shortcut: directly present on the element, with no merging needed?
 		if (AnnotationFilter.PLAIN.matches(annotationType) ||
 				AnnotationsScanner.hasPlainJavaAnnotationsOnly(annotatedElement)) {
 			return annotatedElement.getDeclaredAnnotation(annotationType);
 		}
+
 		// Exhaustive retrieval of merged annotations...
 		return MergedAnnotations.from(annotatedElement, SearchStrategy.INHERITED_ANNOTATIONS, RepeatableContainers.none())
 				.get(annotationType).withNonMergedAttributes()
@@ -515,11 +519,13 @@ public abstract class AnnotationUtils {
 		if (annotationType == null) {
 			return null;
 		}
+
 		// Shortcut: directly present on the element, with no merging needed?
 		if (AnnotationFilter.PLAIN.matches(annotationType) ||
 				AnnotationsScanner.hasPlainJavaAnnotationsOnly(method)) {
 			return method.getDeclaredAnnotation(annotationType);
 		}
+
 		// Exhaustive retrieval of merged annotations...
 		return MergedAnnotations.from(method, SearchStrategy.TYPE_HIERARCHY, RepeatableContainers.none())
 				.get(annotationType).withNonMergedAttributes()
@@ -553,11 +559,23 @@ public abstract class AnnotationUtils {
 		if (annotationType == null) {
 			return null;
 		}
+
 		// Shortcut: directly present on the element, with no merging needed?
 		if (AnnotationFilter.PLAIN.matches(annotationType) ||
 				AnnotationsScanner.hasPlainJavaAnnotationsOnly(clazz)) {
-			return clazz.getDeclaredAnnotation(annotationType);
+			A annotation = clazz.getDeclaredAnnotation(annotationType);
+			if (annotation != null) {
+				return annotation;
+			}
+			// For backwards compatibility, perform a superclass search with plain annotations
+			// even if not marked as @Inherited: e.g. a findAnnotation search for @Deprecated
+			Class<?> superclass = clazz.getSuperclass();
+			if (superclass == null || superclass == Object.class) {
+				return null;
+			}
+			return findAnnotation(superclass, annotationType);
 		}
+
 		// Exhaustive retrieval of merged annotations...
 		return MergedAnnotations.from(clazz, SearchStrategy.TYPE_HIERARCHY, RepeatableContainers.none())
 				.get(annotationType).withNonMergedAttributes()
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtilsTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtilsTests.java
index f0edf9c474..63c46631bd 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtilsTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtilsTests.java
@@ -946,24 +946,24 @@ class AnnotationUtilsTests {
 		assertThat(synthesizedComponent.value()).as("value from synthesized component: ").isEqualTo("webController");
 	}
 
-	@Test // gh-22702
-	void findAnnotationWithRepeatablesElements() {
+	@Test  // gh-22702
+	void findAnnotationWithRepeatablesElements() throws Exception {
 		assertThat(AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(TestRepeatablesClass.class,
 				TestRepeatable.class)).isNull();
 		assertThat(AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(TestRepeatablesClass.class,
 		TestRepeatableContainer.class)).isNotNull();
 	}
 
-	@Test // gh-23856
-	void findAnnotationFindsRepeatableContainerOnComposedAnnotationMetaAnnotatedWithRepeatableAnnotations() {
+	@Test  // gh-23856
+	void findAnnotationFindsRepeatableContainerOnComposedAnnotationMetaAnnotatedWithRepeatableAnnotations() throws Exception {
 		MyRepeatableContainer annotation = AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(MyRepeatableMeta1And2.class, MyRepeatableContainer.class);
 
 		assertThat(annotation).isNotNull();
 		assertThat(annotation.value()).extracting(MyRepeatable::value).containsExactly("meta1", "meta2");
 	}
 
-	@Test // gh-23856
-	void findAnnotationFindsRepeatableContainerOnComposedAnnotationMetaAnnotatedWithRepeatableAnnotationsOnMethod() throws NoSuchMethodException {
+	@Test  // gh-23856
+	void findAnnotationFindsRepeatableContainerOnComposedAnnotationMetaAnnotatedWithRepeatableAnnotationsOnMethod() throws Exception {
 		Method method = getClass().getDeclaredMethod("methodWithComposedAnnotationMetaAnnotatedWithRepeatableAnnotations");
 		MyRepeatableContainer annotation = AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(method, MyRepeatableContainer.class);
 
@@ -971,6 +971,14 @@ class AnnotationUtilsTests {
 		assertThat(annotation.value()).extracting(MyRepeatable::value).containsExactly("meta1", "meta2");
 	}
 
+	@Test  // gh-23929
+	void findDeprecatedAnnotation() throws Exception {
+		assertThat(getAnnotation(DeprecatedClass.class, Deprecated.class)).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(getAnnotation(SubclassOfDeprecatedClass.class, Deprecated.class)).isNull();
+		assertThat(findAnnotation(DeprecatedClass.class, Deprecated.class)).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(findAnnotation(SubclassOfDeprecatedClass.class, Deprecated.class)).isNotNull();
+	}
+
 
 	@SafeVarargs
 	static <T> T[] asArray(T... arr) {
@@ -1810,4 +1818,12 @@ class AnnotationUtilsTests {
 	@TestRepeatable("b")
 	static class TestRepeatablesClass {
 	}
+
+	@Deprecated
+	static class DeprecatedClass {
+	}
+
+	static class SubclassOfDeprecatedClass extends DeprecatedClass {
+	}
+
 }