diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractStaxEventPayloadEndpoint.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractStaxEventPayloadEndpoint.java
index 7652e72d..dd4070dc 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractStaxEventPayloadEndpoint.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractStaxEventPayloadEndpoint.java
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractStaxEventPayloadEndpoint extends AbstractStaxPaylo
     }
 
     private XMLEventReader getEventReader(Source source) throws XMLStreamException, TransformerException {
+        if (source == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
         XMLEventReader eventReader = null;
         if (source instanceof StaxSource) {
             StaxSource staxSource = (StaxSource) source;
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractStaxStreamPayloadEndpoint.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractStaxStreamPayloadEndpoint.java
index 98f3f5a5..8897432d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractStaxStreamPayloadEndpoint.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractStaxStreamPayloadEndpoint.java
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractStaxStreamPayloadEndpoint extends AbstractStaxPayl
     }
 
     private XMLStreamReader getStreamReader(Source source) throws XMLStreamException, TransformerException {
+        if (source == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
         XMLStreamReader streamReader = null;
         if (source instanceof StaxSource) {
             streamReader = ((StaxSource) source).getXMLStreamReader();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/support/MarshallingUtils.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/support/MarshallingUtils.java
index 2b13cbd0..12c4be54 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/support/MarshallingUtils.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/support/MarshallingUtils.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.ws.support;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import javax.activation.DataHandler;
+import javax.xml.transform.Source;
 
 import org.springframework.oxm.Marshaller;
 import org.springframework.oxm.Unmarshaller;
@@ -41,6 +42,9 @@ public abstract class MarshallingUtils {
 
     /**
      * Unmarshals the payload of the given message using the provided {@link Unmarshaller}.
+     * <p/>
+     * If the request message has no payload (i.e. {@link WebServiceMessage#getPayloadSource()} returns
+     * <code>null</code>), this method will return <code>null</code>.
      *
      * @param unmarshaller the unmarshaller
      * @param message      the message of which the payload is to be unmarshalled
@@ -48,13 +52,17 @@ public abstract class MarshallingUtils {
      * @throws IOException in case of I/O errors
      */
     public static Object unmarshal(Unmarshaller unmarshaller, WebServiceMessage message) throws IOException {
-        if (unmarshaller instanceof MimeUnmarshaller && message instanceof MimeMessage) {
+        Source payload = message.getPayloadSource();
+        if (payload == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        else if (unmarshaller instanceof MimeUnmarshaller && message instanceof MimeMessage) {
             MimeUnmarshaller mimeUnmarshaller = (MimeUnmarshaller) unmarshaller;
             MimeMessageContainer container = new MimeMessageContainer((MimeMessage) message);
-            return mimeUnmarshaller.unmarshal(message.getPayloadSource(), container);
+            return mimeUnmarshaller.unmarshal(payload, container);
         }
         else {
-            return unmarshaller.unmarshal(message.getPayloadSource());
+            return unmarshaller.unmarshal(payload);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/MockWebServiceMessage.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/MockWebServiceMessage.java
index 264588c2..34e5bad7 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/MockWebServiceMessage.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/MockWebServiceMessage.java
@@ -45,14 +45,13 @@ import org.springframework.xml.transform.StringSource;
  */
 public class MockWebServiceMessage implements FaultAwareWebServiceMessage {
 
-    private final StringBuffer content;
+    private StringBuffer content;
 
     private boolean fault = false;
 
     private String faultReason;
 
     public MockWebServiceMessage() {
-        content = new StringBuffer();
     }
 
     public MockWebServiceMessage(Source source) throws TransformerException {
@@ -71,14 +70,17 @@ public class MockWebServiceMessage implements FaultAwareWebServiceMessage {
     }
 
     public MockWebServiceMessage(String content) {
-        this.content = new StringBuffer(content);
+        if (content != null) {
+            this.content = new StringBuffer(content);
+        }
     }
 
     public String getPayloadAsString() {
-        return content.toString();
+        return content != null ? content.toString() : null;
     }
 
     public void setPayload(InputStreamSource inputStreamSource) throws IOException {
+        checkContent();
         InputStream is = null;
         try {
             is = inputStreamSource.getInputStream();
@@ -93,16 +95,24 @@ public class MockWebServiceMessage implements FaultAwareWebServiceMessage {
     }
 
     public void setPayload(String content) {
+        checkContent();
         this.content.replace(0, this.content.length(), content);
     }
 
+    private void checkContent() {
+        if (content == null) {
+            content = new StringBuffer();
+        }
+    }
+
     public Result getPayloadResult() {
+        checkContent();
         content.setLength(0);
         return new StreamResult(new StringBufferWriter());
     }
 
     public Source getPayloadSource() {
-        return new StringSource(content.toString());
+        return content != null ? new StringSource(content.toString()) : null;
     }
 
     public boolean hasFault() {
@@ -122,13 +132,17 @@ public class MockWebServiceMessage implements FaultAwareWebServiceMessage {
     }
 
     public void writeTo(OutputStream outputStream) throws IOException {
-        PrintWriter writer = new PrintWriter(outputStream);
-        writer.write(content.toString());
+        if (content != null) {
+            PrintWriter writer = new PrintWriter(outputStream);
+            writer.write(content.toString());
+        }
     }
 
     public String toString() {
         StringBuffer buffer = new StringBuffer("MockWebServiceMessage {");
-        buffer.append(content);
+        if (content != null) {
+            buffer.append(content);
+        }
         buffer.append('}');
         return buffer.toString();
     }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractMessageEndpointTestCase.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractMessageEndpointTestCase.java
index 8d24b00b..e1545b5f 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractMessageEndpointTestCase.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/AbstractMessageEndpointTestCase.java
@@ -42,6 +42,15 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageEndpointTestCase extends AbstractEndpointTe
         assertFalse("Response message created", context.hasResponse());
     }
 
+    public void testNoRequestPayload() throws Exception {
+        endpoint = createNoRequestPayloadEndpoint();
+
+        MessageContext context = new DefaultMessageContext(new MockWebServiceMessage((StringBuffer) null),
+                new MockWebServiceMessageFactory());
+        endpoint.invoke(context);
+        assertFalse("Response message created", context.hasResponse());
+    }
+
     protected final void testSource(Source requestSource) throws Exception {
         MessageContext context =
                 new DefaultMessageContext(new MockWebServiceMessage(requestSource), new MockWebServiceMessageFactory());
@@ -52,6 +61,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageEndpointTestCase extends AbstractEndpointTe
 
     protected abstract MessageEndpoint createNoResponseEndpoint();
 
+    protected abstract MessageEndpoint createNoRequestPayloadEndpoint();
+
     protected abstract MessageEndpoint createResponseEndpoint();
 
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/MarshallingPayloadEndpointTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/MarshallingPayloadEndpointTest.java
index a70094da..69837761 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/MarshallingPayloadEndpointTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/MarshallingPayloadEndpointTest.java
@@ -143,6 +143,25 @@ public class MarshallingPayloadEndpointTest extends XMLTestCase {
         factoryControl.verify();
     }
 
+    public void testInvokeNoRequest() throws Exception {
+        MockWebServiceMessage request = new MockWebServiceMessage((StringBuffer) null);
+        context = new DefaultMessageContext(request, factoryMock);
+        AbstractMarshallingPayloadEndpoint endpoint = new AbstractMarshallingPayloadEndpoint() {
+
+            protected Object invokeInternal(Object requestObject) throws Exception {
+                assertNull("No request expected", requestObject);
+                return null;
+            }
+        };
+        endpoint.setMarshaller(new SimpleMarshaller());
+        endpoint.setUnmarshaller(new SimpleMarshaller());
+        endpoint.afterPropertiesSet();
+        factoryControl.replay();
+        endpoint.invoke(context);
+        assertFalse("Response created", context.hasResponse());
+        factoryControl.verify();
+    }
+
     public void testInvokeMimeMarshaller() throws Exception {
         MockControl unmarshallerControl = MockControl.createControl(MimeUnmarshaller.class);
         MimeUnmarshaller unmarshaller = (MimeUnmarshaller) unmarshallerControl.getMock();
@@ -187,7 +206,7 @@ public class MarshallingPayloadEndpointTest extends XMLTestCase {
         messageControl.verify();
     }
 
-    private abstract static class SimpleMarshaller implements Marshaller, Unmarshaller {
+    private static class SimpleMarshaller implements Marshaller, Unmarshaller {
 
         public void marshal(Object graph, Result result) throws XmlMappingException, IOException {
             fail("Not expected");
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/StaxEventPayloadEndpointTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/StaxEventPayloadEndpointTest.java
index ca718617..7e41b6e1 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/StaxEventPayloadEndpointTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/StaxEventPayloadEndpointTest.java
@@ -37,6 +37,18 @@ public class StaxEventPayloadEndpointTest extends AbstractMessageEndpointTestCas
             protected void invokeInternal(XMLEventReader eventReader,
                                           XMLEventConsumer eventWriter,
                                           XMLEventFactory eventFactory) throws Exception {
+                assertNotNull("No EventReader passed", eventReader);
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
+    protected MessageEndpoint createNoRequestPayloadEndpoint() {
+        return new AbstractStaxEventPayloadEndpoint() {
+
+            protected void invokeInternal(XMLEventReader eventReader,
+                                          XMLEventConsumer eventWriter,
+                                          XMLEventFactory eventFactory) throws Exception {
+                assertNull("EventReader passed", eventReader);
             }
         };
     }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/StaxStreamPayloadEndpointTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/StaxStreamPayloadEndpointTest.java
index 04799b21..50cebb09 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/StaxStreamPayloadEndpointTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/StaxStreamPayloadEndpointTest.java
@@ -42,6 +42,15 @@ public class StaxStreamPayloadEndpointTest extends AbstractMessageEndpointTestCa
     protected MessageEndpoint createNoResponseEndpoint() {
         return new AbstractStaxStreamPayloadEndpoint() {
             protected void invokeInternal(XMLStreamReader streamReader, XMLStreamWriter streamWriter) throws Exception {
+                assertNotNull("No StreamReader passed", streamReader);
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
+    protected MessageEndpoint createNoRequestPayloadEndpoint() {
+        return new AbstractStaxStreamPayloadEndpoint() {
+            protected void invokeInternal(XMLStreamReader streamReader, XMLStreamWriter streamWriter) throws Exception {
+                assertNull("StreamReader passed", streamReader);
             }
         };
     }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/adapter/MarshallingMethodEndpointAdapterTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/adapter/MarshallingMethodEndpointAdapterTest.java
index ae151765..f130d5cd 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/adapter/MarshallingMethodEndpointAdapterTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/server/endpoint/adapter/MarshallingMethodEndpointAdapterTest.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import junit.framework.TestCase;
 import org.easymock.MockControl;
 import org.springframework.oxm.Marshaller;
 import org.springframework.oxm.Unmarshaller;
+import org.springframework.ws.MockWebServiceMessage;
 import org.springframework.ws.MockWebServiceMessageFactory;
 import org.springframework.ws.context.DefaultMessageContext;
 import org.springframework.ws.context.MessageContext;
@@ -38,7 +39,8 @@ public class MarshallingMethodEndpointAdapterTest extends TestCase {
         unmarshallerMock = (Unmarshaller) unmarshallerControl.getMock();
         adapter.setUnmarshaller(unmarshallerMock);
         adapter.afterPropertiesSet();
-        messageContext = new DefaultMessageContext(new MockWebServiceMessageFactory());
+        MockWebServiceMessage request = new MockWebServiceMessage("<request/>");
+        messageContext = new DefaultMessageContext(request, new MockWebServiceMessageFactory());
     }
 
     public void testNoResponse() throws Exception {
@@ -56,6 +58,20 @@ public class MarshallingMethodEndpointAdapterTest extends TestCase {
         unmarshallerControl.verify();
     }
 
+    public void testNoRequestPayload() throws Exception {
+        MockWebServiceMessage request = new MockWebServiceMessage();
+        messageContext = new DefaultMessageContext(request, new MockWebServiceMessageFactory());
+        Method noResponse = getClass().getMethod("noResponse", new Class[]{MyType.class});
+        MethodEndpoint methodEndpoint = new MethodEndpoint(this, noResponse);
+        marshallerControl.replay();
+        unmarshallerControl.replay();
+        assertFalse("Method invoked", noResponseInvoked);
+        adapter.invoke(messageContext, methodEndpoint);
+        assertTrue("Method not invoked", noResponseInvoked);
+        marshallerControl.verify();
+        unmarshallerControl.verify();
+    }
+
     public void testResponse() throws Exception {
         Method response = getClass().getMethod("response", new Class[]{MyType.class});
         MethodEndpoint methodEndpoint = new MethodEndpoint(this, response);
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/support/MarshallingUtilsTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/support/MarshallingUtilsTest.java
index 51de4274..ddb93183 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/support/MarshallingUtilsTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/springframework/ws/support/MarshallingUtilsTest.java
@@ -76,6 +76,24 @@ public class MarshallingUtilsTest extends TestCase {
         messageControl.verify();
     }
 
+    public void testUnmarshalNoPayload() throws Exception {
+        MockControl unmarshallerControl = MockControl.createControl(MimeUnmarshaller.class);
+        MimeUnmarshaller unmarshallerMock = (MimeUnmarshaller) unmarshallerControl.getMock();
+        MockControl messageControl = MockControl.createControl(MimeMessage.class);
+        MimeMessage messageMock = (MimeMessage) messageControl.getMock();
+
+        messageControl.expectAndReturn(messageMock.getPayloadSource(), null);
+
+        unmarshallerControl.replay();
+        messageControl.replay();
+
+        Object result = MarshallingUtils.unmarshal(unmarshallerMock, messageMock);
+        assertNull("Invalid unmarshalled object", result);
+
+        unmarshallerControl.verify();
+        messageControl.verify();
+    }
+
     public void testMarshal() throws Exception {
         MockControl marshallerControl = MockControl.createControl(Marshaller.class);
         Marshaller marshallerMock = (Marshaller) marshallerControl.getMock();