diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/AnnotatedParametersParameterAccessor.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/AnnotatedParametersParameterAccessor.java
index 45ed083b..8d985660 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/AnnotatedParametersParameterAccessor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/AnnotatedParametersParameterAccessor.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2017 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.
@@ -149,10 +149,12 @@ 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, 0);
+			this.parameterTypeDescriptor = TypeDescriptor.nested(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 3a48f4d2..e21e0bb7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderFactory.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2017 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.
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ public class ControllerLinkBuilderFactory implements MethodLinkBuilderFactory<Co
 
 					RequestParam annotation = parameter.getParameterAnnotation(RequestParam.class);
 
-					if (parameter.getParameterType().getName().equals("java.lang.Optional")) {
+					if (Java8Utils.isJava8Optional(parameter.getParameterType())) {
 						return false;
 					}
 
@@ -318,11 +318,13 @@ public class ControllerLinkBuilderFactory implements MethodLinkBuilderFactory<Co
 
 			RequestParam annotation = parameter.getParameterAnnotation(RequestParam.class);
 
+			value = Java8Utils.unwrapJava8Optional(value);
+
 			if (value != null) {
 				return value;
 			}
 
-			if (!annotation.required()) {
+			if (!annotation.required() || Java8Utils.isJava8Optional(parameter.getParameterType())) {
 				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
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..73a7ac00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/Java8Utils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/*
+ * 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);
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest.java
index ab16a086..b5a09f3a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import static org.springframework.hateoas.mvc.ControllerLinkBuilder.*;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 import org.hamcrest.Matchers;
 import org.junit.Rule;
@@ -554,6 +555,31 @@ public class ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest extends TestUtils {
 		assertThat(linkTo(PersonControllerImpl.class).withSelfRel().getHref(), endsWith("/ctx/people"));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see #639
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void considersEmptyOptionalMethodParameterOptional() {
+
+		Link link = linkTo(methodOn(ControllerWithMethods.class).methodWithJdk8Optional(Optional.<Integer> empty()))
+				.withSelfRel();
+
+		assertThat(link.isTemplated(), is(true));
+		assertThat(link.getVariableNames(), contains("value"));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @see #639
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void considersOptionalWithValueMethodParameterOptional() {
+
+		Link link = linkTo(methodOn(ControllerWithMethods.class).methodWithJdk8Optional(Optional.of(1))).withSelfRel();
+
+		assertThat(link.isTemplated(), is(false));
+		assertThat(link.getHref(), endsWith("?value=1"));
+	}
+
 	private static UriComponents toComponents(Link link) {
 		return UriComponentsBuilder.fromUriString(link.expand().getHref()).build();
 	}
@@ -630,6 +656,10 @@ public class ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest extends TestUtils {
 		HttpEntity<Void> methodForOptionalSizeWithDefaultValue(@RequestParam(defaultValue = "10") Integer size) {
 			return null;
 		}
+
+		HttpEntity<Void> methodWithJdk8Optional(@RequestParam Optional<Integer> value) {
+			return null;
+		}
 	}
 
 	@RequestMapping("/parent")