diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/AnnotatedParametersParameterAccessor.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/AnnotatedParametersParameterAccessor.java
index dd21f980..d4f7aeb3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/AnnotatedParametersParameterAccessor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/AnnotatedParametersParameterAccessor.java
@@ -139,12 +139,10 @@ class AnnotatedParametersParameterAccessor {
 
 			Assert.notNull(parameter, "MethodParameter must not be null!");
 
-			boolean isOptional = Java8Utils.isJava8Optional(parameter.getParameterType());
-
 			this.parameter = parameter;
 			this.value = value;
 			this.attribute = attribute;
-			this.parameterTypeDescriptor = TypeDescriptor.nested(parameter, isOptional ? 1 : 0);
+			this.parameterTypeDescriptor = TypeDescriptor.nested(parameter, parameter.isOptional() ? 1 : 0);
 		}
 
 		/**
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderFactory.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderFactory.java
index e21e0bb7..9afe3f04 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderFactory.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import org.springframework.hateoas.core.MethodParameters;
 import org.springframework.hateoas.mvc.AnnotatedParametersParameterAccessor.BoundMethodParameter;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.MultiValueMap;
+import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.PathVariable;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestParam;
@@ -299,7 +300,7 @@ public class ControllerLinkBuilderFactory implements MethodLinkBuilderFactory<Co
 
 					RequestParam annotation = parameter.getParameterAnnotation(RequestParam.class);
 
-					if (Java8Utils.isJava8Optional(parameter.getParameterType())) {
+					if (parameter.isOptional()) {
 						return false;
 					}
 
@@ -318,13 +319,13 @@ public class ControllerLinkBuilderFactory implements MethodLinkBuilderFactory<Co
 
 			RequestParam annotation = parameter.getParameterAnnotation(RequestParam.class);
 
-			value = Java8Utils.unwrapJava8Optional(value);
+			value = ObjectUtils.unwrapOptional(value);
 
 			if (value != null) {
 				return value;
 			}
 
-			if (!annotation.required() || Java8Utils.isJava8Optional(parameter.getParameterType())) {
+			if (!annotation.required() || parameter.isOptional()) {
 				return SKIP_VALUE;
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/Java8Utils.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/Java8Utils.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 73a7ac00..00000000
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/Java8Utils.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,80 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2017 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.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
-package org.springframework.hateoas.mvc;
-
-import java.util.Optional;
-
-import org.springframework.util.Assert;
-import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
-
-/**
- * Utilities to reflectively work with JDK 8's {@link Optional} on JDK 6.
- * 
- * @author Oliver Gierke
- */
-final class Java8Utils {
-
-	private static boolean OPTIONAL_PRESENT = ClassUtils.isPresent("java.util.Optional",
-			OptionalValueAccessor.class.getClassLoader());
-
-	/**
-	 * Returns whether the given type is the JDK 8's {@link Optional}.
-	 * 
-	 * @param type must not be {@literal null}.
-	 * @return
-	 */
-	static boolean isJava8Optional(Class<?> type) {
-
-		Assert.notNull(type, "Type must not be null!");
-
-		return OPTIONAL_PRESENT && OptionalValueAccessor.isOptional(type);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Returns whether the given source value is a JDK 8 {@link Optional}.
-	 * 
-	 * @param source can be {@literal null}.
-	 * @return
-	 */
-	static boolean isJava8Optional(Object source) {
-		return OPTIONAL_PRESENT && OptionalValueAccessor.isOptional(source);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Unwraps the value contained in a JDK 8 {@link Optional} if the value is one.
-	 * 
-	 * @param source can be {@literal null}.
-	 * @return
-	 */
-	static Object unwrapJava8Optional(Object source) {
-		return OPTIONAL_PRESENT && isJava8Optional(source) ? OptionalValueAccessor.unwrapOptional(source) : source;
-	}
-
-	private static class OptionalValueAccessor {
-
-		static boolean isOptional(Class<?> type) {
-			return Optional.class.isAssignableFrom(type);
-		}
-
-		static boolean isOptional(Object source) {
-			return Optional.class.isInstance(source);
-		}
-
-		static Object unwrapOptional(Object source) {
-			return ((Optional<?>) source).orElse(null);
-		}
-	}
-}