diff --git a/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/dsl/BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec.java b/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/dsl/BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec.java
index e6c27afb93..4e8028742e 100644
--- a/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/dsl/BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec.java
+++ b/spring-integration-http/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/http/dsl/BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec.java
@@ -45,8 +45,10 @@ import org.springframework.web.client.RestTemplate;
  *
  * @param <S> the target {@link BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec} implementation type.
  * @param <E> the target {@link AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler} implementation type.
+ *
  * @author Artem Bilan
  * @author Shiliang Li
+ *
  * @since 5.0
  */
 public abstract class BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec<S extends BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec<S, E>, E extends AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler>
@@ -61,7 +63,6 @@ public abstract class BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec<S extends BaseHttpMessageHandle
 
 	public BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec(E handler) {
 		this.target = handler;
-		this.target.setUriVariableExpressions(this.uriVariableExpressions);
 		this.target.setHeaderMapper(this.headerMapper);
 	}
 
@@ -233,26 +234,28 @@ public abstract class BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec<S extends BaseHttpMessageHandle
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Specify a SpEL expression to evaluate a value for the uri template variable.
+	 * Specify an {@link Expression} to evaluate a value for the uri template variable.
 	 * @param variable the uri template variable.
-	 * @param value the expression to evaluate value for te uri template variable.
+	 * @param expression the expression to evaluate value for te uri template variable.
 	 * @return the current Spec.
 	 * @see AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler#setUriVariableExpressions(Map)
+	 * @see ValueExpression
+	 * @see org.springframework.expression.common.LiteralExpression
 	 */
-	public S uriVariable(String variable, Expression value) {
-		this.uriVariableExpressions.put(variable, value);
+	public S uriVariable(String variable, Expression expression) {
+		this.uriVariableExpressions.put(variable, expression);
 		return _this();
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Specify a value for the uri template variable.
+	 * Specify a value SpEL expression for the uri template variable.
 	 * @param variable the uri template variable.
-	 * @param value the expression to evaluate value for te uri template variable.
+	 * @param expression the expression to evaluate value for te uri template variable.
 	 * @return the current Spec.
 	 * @see AbstractHttpRequestExecutingMessageHandler#setUriVariableExpressions(Map)
 	 */
-	public S uriVariable(String variable, String value) {
-		return uriVariable(variable, PARSER.parseExpression(value));
+	public S uriVariable(String variable, String expression) {
+		return uriVariable(variable, PARSER.parseExpression(expression));
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -312,6 +315,7 @@ public abstract class BaseHttpMessageHandlerSpec<S extends BaseHttpMessageHandle
 
 	@Override
 	public Collection<Object> getComponentsToRegister() {
+		this.target.setUriVariableExpressions(this.uriVariableExpressions);
 		return Collections.singletonList(this.headerMapper);
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-integration-http/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/http/dsl/HttpDslTests.java b/spring-integration-http/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/http/dsl/HttpDslTests.java
index 71c6102bbe..316a260208 100644
--- a/spring-integration-http/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/http/dsl/HttpDslTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-http/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/http/dsl/HttpDslTests.java
@@ -183,11 +183,8 @@ public class HttpDslTests {
 			return IntegrationFlows
 					.from(Http.inboundGateway("/service")
 							.requestMapping(r -> r.params("name")))
-					.handle(Http.<MultiValueMap<String, String>>outboundGateway(m ->
-									UriComponentsBuilder.fromPath("/service/internal")
-											.queryParams(m.getPayload())
-											.build()
-											.toUri())
+					.handle(Http.<MultiValueMap<String, String>>outboundGateway("/service/internal?{params}")
+									.uriVariable("params", "payload")
 									.expectedResponseType(String.class),
 							e -> e.id("serviceInternalGateway"))
 					.get();