diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/DefaultResponseErrorHandler.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/DefaultResponseErrorHandler.java
index 395338c91c..f28e0cd813 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/DefaultResponseErrorHandler.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/DefaultResponseErrorHandler.java
@@ -92,69 +92,16 @@ public class DefaultResponseErrorHandler implements ResponseErrorHandler {
 		HttpHeaders headers = response.getHeaders();
 		byte[] body = getResponseBody(response);
 		Charset charset = getCharset(response);
-
 		switch (statusCode.series()) {
 			case CLIENT_ERROR:
-				handleClientError(statusCode, statusText, headers, body, charset);
-				return;
+				throw HttpClientErrorException.create(statusCode, statusText, headers, body, charset);
 			case SERVER_ERROR:
-				handleServerError(statusCode, statusText, headers, body, charset);
-				return;
+				throw HttpServerErrorException.create(statusCode, statusText, headers, body, charset);
 			default:
 				throw new UnknownHttpStatusCodeException(statusCode.value(), statusText, headers, body, charset);
 		}
 	}
 
-	private void handleClientError(
-			HttpStatus statusCode, String statusText, HttpHeaders headers, byte[] body, @Nullable Charset charset) {
-
-		switch (statusCode) {
-			case BAD_REQUEST:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.BadRequest(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case UNAUTHORIZED:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.Unauthorized(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case FORBIDDEN:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.Forbidden(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case NOT_FOUND:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.NotFound(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.MethodNotAllowed(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case NOT_ACCEPTABLE:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.NotAcceptable(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case CONFLICT:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.Conflict(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case GONE:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.Gone(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case UNSUPPORTED_MEDIA_TYPE:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.UnsupportedMediaType(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case TOO_MANY_REQUESTS:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.TooManyRequests(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException.UnprocessableEntity(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			default:
-				throw new HttpClientErrorException(statusCode, statusText, headers, body, charset);
-		}
-	}
-
-	private void handleServerError(
-			HttpStatus statusCode, String statusText, HttpHeaders headers, byte[] body, @Nullable Charset charset) {
-
-		switch (statusCode) {
-			case INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR:
-					throw new HttpServerErrorException.InternalServerError(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case NOT_IMPLEMENTED:
-				throw new HttpServerErrorException.NotImplemented(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case BAD_GATEWAY:
-				throw new HttpServerErrorException.BadGateway(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE:
-				throw new HttpServerErrorException.ServiceUnavailable(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			case GATEWAY_TIMEOUT:
-				throw new HttpServerErrorException.GatewayTimeout(statusText, headers, body, charset);
-			default:
-				throw new HttpServerErrorException(statusCode, statusText, headers, body, charset);
-		}
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Determine the HTTP status of the given response.
 	 * @param response the response to inspect
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/HttpClientErrorException.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/HttpClientErrorException.java
index 488e6fe49d..0e271a96b5 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/HttpClientErrorException.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/HttpClientErrorException.java
@@ -67,6 +67,42 @@ public class HttpClientErrorException extends HttpStatusCodeException {
 	}
 
 
+	/**
+	 * Create {@code HttpClientErrorException} or an HTTP status specific sub-class.
+	 * @since 5.1
+	 */
+	public static HttpClientErrorException create(
+			HttpStatus statusCode, String statusText, HttpHeaders headers, byte[] body, @Nullable Charset charset) {
+
+		switch (statusCode) {
+			case BAD_REQUEST:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.BadRequest(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case UNAUTHORIZED:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.Unauthorized(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case FORBIDDEN:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.Forbidden(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case NOT_FOUND:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.NotFound(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.MethodNotAllowed(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case NOT_ACCEPTABLE:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.NotAcceptable(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case CONFLICT:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.Conflict(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case GONE:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.Gone(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case UNSUPPORTED_MEDIA_TYPE:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.UnsupportedMediaType(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case TOO_MANY_REQUESTS:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.TooManyRequests(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException.UnprocessableEntity(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			default:
+				return new HttpClientErrorException(statusCode, statusText, headers, body, charset);
+		}
+	}
+
+
 	// Subclasses for specific HTTP status codes
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/HttpServerErrorException.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/HttpServerErrorException.java
index f803ddfa55..2173faa839 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/HttpServerErrorException.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/HttpServerErrorException.java
@@ -67,6 +67,30 @@ public class HttpServerErrorException extends HttpStatusCodeException {
 	}
 
 
+	/**
+	 * Create an {@code HttpServerErrorException} or an HTTP status specific sub-class.
+	 * @since 5.1
+	 */
+	public static HttpServerErrorException create(
+			HttpStatus statusCode, String statusText, HttpHeaders headers, byte[] body, @Nullable Charset charset) {
+
+		switch (statusCode) {
+			case INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR:
+				return new HttpServerErrorException.InternalServerError(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case NOT_IMPLEMENTED:
+				return new HttpServerErrorException.NotImplemented(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case BAD_GATEWAY:
+				return new HttpServerErrorException.BadGateway(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE:
+				return new HttpServerErrorException.ServiceUnavailable(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			case GATEWAY_TIMEOUT:
+				return new HttpServerErrorException.GatewayTimeout(statusText, headers, body, charset);
+			default:
+				return new HttpServerErrorException(statusCode, statusText, headers, body, charset);
+		}
+	}
+
+
 	// Subclasses for specific HTTP status codes
 
 	/**