diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/MethodValidationAdapter.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/MethodValidationAdapter.java
index c069d96e85..17e320ed06 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/MethodValidationAdapter.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/MethodValidationAdapter.java
@@ -329,9 +329,12 @@ public class MethodValidationAdapter implements MethodValidator {
 							.addViolation(violation);
 				}
 				else {
-					// If the argument is a container of elements, we need the specific element,
-					// but the only option is to check for a parent container index/key in the
-					// next part of the property path.
+
+					// https://github.com/jakartaee/validation/issues/194
+					// If the argument is a container of elements, we need the element, but
+					// the only option is to see if the next part of the property path has
+					// a container index/key for its parent and use it.
+
 					Path.Node paramNode = node;
 					node = itr.next();
 
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java
index 8fd02b012f..e21927e331 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedParameterizedType;
 import java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedType;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -407,8 +406,7 @@ public class HandlerMethod extends AnnotatedMethod {
 						return true;
 					}
 					Class<?> type = param.getParameterType();
-					if (merged.stream().anyMatch(VALID_PREDICATE) &&
-							(Collection.class.isAssignableFrom(type) || Map.class.isAssignableFrom(type))) {
+					if (merged.stream().anyMatch(VALID_PREDICATE) && isIndexOrKeyBasedContainer(type)) {
 						return true;
 					}
 					merged = MergedAnnotations.from(getContainerElementAnnotations(param));
@@ -428,6 +426,15 @@ public class HandlerMethod extends AnnotatedMethod {
 			return false;
 		}
 
+		private static boolean isIndexOrKeyBasedContainer(Class<?> type) {
+
+			// Index or key-based containers only, or MethodValidationAdapter cannot access
+			// the element given what is exposed in ConstraintViolation.
+
+			return (List.class.isAssignableFrom(type) || Object[].class.isAssignableFrom(type) ||
+					Map.class.isAssignableFrom(type));
+		}
+
 		/**
 		 * There may be constraints on elements of a container (list, map).
 		 */