diff --git a/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/MediaType.java b/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/MediaType.java
index f9021b4b25..3a36d89b03 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/MediaType.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/MediaType.java
@@ -318,7 +318,9 @@ public class MediaType implements Comparable<MediaType> {
 	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the string cannot be parsed
 	 */
 	public static List<MediaType> parseMediaTypes(String mediaTypes) {
-		Assert.hasLength(mediaTypes, "'mediaTypes' must not be empty");
+		if (!StringUtils.hasLength(mediaTypes)) {
+			return Collections.emptyList();
+		}
 		String[] tokens = mediaTypes.split(",\\s*");
 		List<MediaType> result = new ArrayList<MediaType>(tokens.length);
 		for (String token : tokens) {
diff --git a/org.springframework.web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/MediaTypeTests.java b/org.springframework.web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/MediaTypeTests.java
index 9f448f3eda..ce91201497 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/MediaTypeTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/MediaTypeTests.java
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ public class MediaTypeTests {
 		List<MediaType> mediaTypes = MediaType.parseMediaTypes(s);
 		assertNotNull("No media types returned", mediaTypes);
 		assertEquals("Invalid amount of media types", 4, mediaTypes.size());
+
+		mediaTypes = MediaType.parseMediaTypes(null);
+		assertNotNull("No media types returned", mediaTypes);
+		assertEquals("Invalid amount of media types", 0, mediaTypes.size());
 	}
 
 	@Test