diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/convert/support/DefaultConversionService.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/convert/support/DefaultConversionService.java
index 0dae54ad79..35a70baaa1 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/convert/support/DefaultConversionService.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/convert/support/DefaultConversionService.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2022 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2023 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.
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
+import org.springframework.core.KotlinDetector;
 import org.springframework.core.convert.ConversionService;
 import org.springframework.core.convert.converter.ConverterRegistry;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
@@ -170,6 +171,11 @@ public class DefaultConversionService extends GenericConversionService {
 
 		converterRegistry.addConverter(new StringToPatternConverter());
 		converterRegistry.addConverter(Pattern.class, String.class, new ObjectToStringConverter());
+
+		if (KotlinDetector.isKotlinPresent()) {
+			converterRegistry.addConverter(new StringToRegexConverter());
+			converterRegistry.addConverter(kotlin.text.Regex.class, String.class, new ObjectToStringConverter());
+		}
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/convert/support/StringToPatternConverter.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/convert/support/StringToPatternConverter.java
index ff721ba431..689b48a0b1 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/convert/support/StringToPatternConverter.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/convert/support/StringToPatternConverter.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2022 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2023 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.
@@ -21,15 +21,19 @@ import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 import org.springframework.core.convert.converter.Converter;
 
 /**
- * Convert a String to a {@link Pattern}.
+ * Converts from a String to a {@link java.util.regex.Pattern}.
  *
  * @author Valery Yatsynovich
- * @since 5.2
+ * @author Stephane Nicoll
+ * @since 6.1
  */
-class StringToPatternConverter implements Converter<String, Pattern> {
+final class StringToPatternConverter implements Converter<String, Pattern> {
 
 	@Override
 	public Pattern convert(String source) {
+		if (source.isEmpty()) {
+			return null;
+		}
 		return Pattern.compile(source);
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/kotlin/org/springframework/core/convert/support/StringToRegexConverter.kt b/spring-core/src/main/kotlin/org/springframework/core/convert/support/StringToRegexConverter.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..790dc99422
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/kotlin/org/springframework/core/convert/support/StringToRegexConverter.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package org.springframework.core.convert.support
+
+import org.springframework.core.convert.converter.Converter
+
+/**
+ * Converts from a String to a [Regex].
+ *
+ * @author Stephane Nicoll
+ */
+class StringToRegexConverter : Converter<String, Regex> {
+
+	override fun convert(source: String): Regex? {
+		if (source.isEmpty()) {
+			return null
+		}
+		return source.toRegex()
+	}
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/convert/converter/DefaultConversionServiceTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/convert/converter/DefaultConversionServiceTests.java
index bd8d68f387..f326cec724 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/convert/converter/DefaultConversionServiceTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/convert/converter/DefaultConversionServiceTests.java
@@ -319,10 +319,16 @@ class DefaultConversionServiceTests {
 		assertThat(convertToUUID).isEqualTo(uuid);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void stringToPatternEmptyString() {
+		assertThat(conversionService.convert("", Pattern.class)).isNull();
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void stringToPattern() {
-		String regex = "\\s";
-		assertThat(conversionService.convert(regex, Pattern.class)).extracting(Pattern::pattern).isEqualTo(regex);
+		String pattern = "\\s";
+		assertThat(conversionService.convert(pattern, Pattern.class))
+				.isInstanceOfSatisfying(Pattern.class, regex -> assertThat(regex.pattern()).isEqualTo(pattern));
 	}
 
 	@Test
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/kotlin/org/springframework/core/convert/support/DefaultConversionServiceKotlinTests.kt b/spring-core/src/test/kotlin/org/springframework/core/convert/support/DefaultConversionServiceKotlinTests.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ac37a4a55c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/kotlin/org/springframework/core/convert/support/DefaultConversionServiceKotlinTests.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package org.springframework.core.convert.support
+
+import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test
+
+/**
+ * Tests for Kotlin support in [DefaultConversionService].
+ *
+ * @author Stephane Nicoll
+ */
+class DefaultConversionServiceKotlinTests {
+
+	private val conversionService = DefaultConversionService()
+
+	@Test
+	fun stringToRegexEmptyString() {
+		assertThat(conversionService.convert("", Regex::class.java)).isNull();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	fun stringToRegex() {
+		val pattern = "\\w+"
+		assertThat(conversionService.convert(pattern, Regex::class.java)).isInstanceOfSatisfying(
+			Regex::class.java
+		) { regex -> assertThat(regex.pattern).isEqualTo(pattern) }
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	fun regexToString() {
+		val pattern = "\\w+"
+		assertThat(conversionService.convert(pattern.toRegex(), String::class.java)).isEqualTo(pattern)
+	}
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file