diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-rsocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/rsocket/FunctionRSocketMessageHandler.java b/spring-cloud-function-rsocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/rsocket/FunctionRSocketMessageHandler.java
index 0f56d80f2..9205b7aed 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-function-rsocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/rsocket/FunctionRSocketMessageHandler.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-rsocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/rsocket/FunctionRSocketMessageHandler.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 package org.springframework.cloud.function.rsocket;
 
-import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -42,7 +41,6 @@ import org.springframework.core.codec.Encoder;
 import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBuffer;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
-import org.springframework.messaging.MessageHeaders;
 import org.springframework.messaging.MessagingException;
 import org.springframework.messaging.handler.CompositeMessageCondition;
 import org.springframework.messaging.handler.DestinationPatternsMessageCondition;
@@ -70,8 +68,6 @@ class FunctionRSocketMessageHandler extends RSocketMessageHandler {
 
 	private final FunctionCatalog functionCatalog;
 
-	private final Field headersField;
-
 	private static final Method FUNCTION_APPLY_METHOD =
 		ReflectionUtils.findMethod(Function.class, "apply", (Class<?>[]) null);
 
@@ -85,8 +81,6 @@ class FunctionRSocketMessageHandler extends RSocketMessageHandler {
 	FunctionRSocketMessageHandler(FunctionCatalog functionCatalog) {
 		setHandlerPredicate((clazz) -> false);
 		this.functionCatalog = functionCatalog;
-		this.headersField = ReflectionUtils.findField(MessageHeaders.class, "headers");
-		this.headersField.setAccessible(true);
 	}
 
 
@@ -185,14 +179,17 @@ class FunctionRSocketMessageHandler extends RSocketMessageHandler {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * This metadata extractor will ensure that any JSON data passed
+	 * via metadata will be copied into Message headers.
+	 */
 	private static class HeadersAwareMetadataExtractor extends DefaultMetadataExtractor {
 		HeadersAwareMetadataExtractor(List<Decoder<?>> decoders) {
 			super(decoders);
 			super.metadataToExtract(MimeTypeUtils.APPLICATION_JSON,
 					new ParameterizedTypeReference<Map<String, String>>() {
-					}, (jsonMap, outputMap) -> {
-						outputMap.putAll(jsonMap);
-					});
+					}, (jsonMap, outputMap) -> outputMap.putAll(jsonMap)
+			);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-cloud-function-rsocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/rsocket/RSocketAutoConfigurationTests.java b/spring-cloud-function-rsocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/rsocket/RSocketAutoConfigurationTests.java
index 7f288379c..79be8c982 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-function-rsocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/rsocket/RSocketAutoConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-function-rsocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/function/rsocket/RSocketAutoConfigurationTests.java
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.SocketUtils;
  */
 public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 	@Test
-	public void testImperativeFunctionAsRequestReply() {
+	public void testImperativeFunctionAsRequestReplyWithDefinition() {
 		int port = SocketUtils.findAvailableTcpPort();
 		try (
 			ConfigurableApplicationContext applicationContext =
@@ -61,6 +61,30 @@ public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 			RSocketRequester.Builder rsocketRequesterBuilder =
 				applicationContext.getBean(RSocketRequester.Builder.class);
 
+			rsocketRequesterBuilder.tcp("localhost", port)
+				.route("")
+				.data("\"hello\"")
+				.retrieveMono(String.class)
+				.as(StepVerifier::create)
+				.expectNext("\"HELLO\"")
+				.expectComplete()
+				.verify();
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testImperativeFunctionAsRequestReply() {
+		int port = SocketUtils.findAvailableTcpPort();
+		try (
+			ConfigurableApplicationContext applicationContext =
+				new SpringApplicationBuilder(SampleFunctionConfiguration.class)
+					.web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
+					.run("--logging.level.org.springframework.cloud.function=DEBUG",
+						"--spring.rsocket.server.port=" + port);
+		) {
+			RSocketRequester.Builder rsocketRequesterBuilder =
+				applicationContext.getBean(RSocketRequester.Builder.class);
+
 			rsocketRequesterBuilder.tcp("localhost", port)
 				.route("uppercase")
 				.data("\"hello\"")
@@ -72,6 +96,30 @@ public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testImperativeFunctionAsRequestReplyWithComposition() {
+		int port = SocketUtils.findAvailableTcpPort();
+		try (
+			ConfigurableApplicationContext applicationContext =
+				new SpringApplicationBuilder(SampleFunctionConfiguration.class)
+					.web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
+					.run("--logging.level.org.springframework.cloud.function=DEBUG",
+						"--spring.rsocket.server.port=" + port);
+		) {
+			RSocketRequester.Builder rsocketRequesterBuilder =
+				applicationContext.getBean(RSocketRequester.Builder.class);
+
+			rsocketRequesterBuilder.tcp("localhost", port)
+				.route("uppercase|concat")
+				.data("\"hello\"")
+				.retrieveMono(String.class)
+				.as(StepVerifier::create)
+				.expectNext("\"HELLOHELLO\"")
+				.expectComplete()
+				.verify();
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testSupplierAsRequestReply() {
 		int port = SocketUtils.findAvailableTcpPort();
@@ -80,7 +128,6 @@ public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 				new SpringApplicationBuilder(SampleFunctionConfiguration.class)
 					.web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
 					.run("--logging.level.org.springframework.cloud.function=DEBUG",
-						"--spring.cloud.function.definition=source",
 						"--spring.rsocket.server.port=" + port);
 		) {
 			RSocketRequester.Builder rsocketRequesterBuilder =
@@ -105,7 +152,6 @@ public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 				new SpringApplicationBuilder(SampleFunctionConfiguration.class)
 					.web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
 					.run("--logging.level.org.springframework.cloud.function=DEBUG",
-						"--spring.cloud.function.definition=uppercase",
 						"--spring.rsocket.server.port=" + port);
 		) {
 			RSocketRequester.Builder rsocketRequesterBuilder =
@@ -130,7 +176,6 @@ public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 				new SpringApplicationBuilder(SampleFunctionConfiguration.class)
 					.web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
 					.run("--logging.level.org.springframework.cloud.function=DEBUG",
-						"--spring.cloud.function.definition=uppercase",
 						"--spring.rsocket.server.port=" + port);
 		) {
 			RSocketRequester.Builder rsocketRequesterBuilder =
@@ -155,7 +200,6 @@ public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 				new SpringApplicationBuilder(SampleFunctionConfiguration.class)
 					.web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
 					.run("--logging.level.org.springframework.cloud.function=DEBUG",
-						"--spring.cloud.function.definition=uppercaseReactive",
 						"--spring.rsocket.server.port=" + port);
 		) {
 			RSocketRequester.Builder rsocketRequesterBuilder =
@@ -180,7 +224,6 @@ public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 				new SpringApplicationBuilder(SampleFunctionConfiguration.class)
 					.web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
 					.run("--logging.level.org.springframework.cloud.function=DEBUG",
-						"--spring.cloud.function.definition=uppercaseReactive",
 						"--spring.rsocket.server.port=" + port);
 		) {
 			RSocketRequester.Builder rsocketRequesterBuilder =
@@ -205,7 +248,6 @@ public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 				new SpringApplicationBuilder(SampleFunctionConfiguration.class)
 					.web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
 					.run("--logging.level.org.springframework.cloud.function=DEBUG",
-						"--spring.cloud.function.definition=uppercaseReactive",
 						"--spring.rsocket.server.port=" + port);
 		) {
 			RSocketRequester.Builder rsocketRequesterBuilder =
@@ -223,7 +265,7 @@ public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void testRequestReplyFunctionWithComposition() {
+	public void testRequestReplyFunctionWithDistributedComposition() {
 		int portA = SocketUtils.findAvailableTcpPort();
 		int portB = SocketUtils.findAvailableTcpPort();
 		try (
@@ -303,20 +345,18 @@ public class RSocketAutoConfigurationTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFireAndForgetConsumer() {
+		int port = SocketUtils.findAvailableTcpPort();
 		try (
 			ConfigurableApplicationContext applicationContext =
 				new SpringApplicationBuilder(SampleFunctionConfiguration.class)
 					.web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
 					.run("--logging.level.org.springframework.cloud.function=DEBUG",
-						"--spring.cloud.function.definition=log",
-						"--spring.rsocket.server.port=0");
+						"--spring.rsocket.server.port=" + port);
 		) {
 			RSocketRequester.Builder rsocketRequesterBuilder =
 				applicationContext.getBean(RSocketRequester.Builder.class);
-			RSocketServerBootstrap serverBootstrap = applicationContext.getBean(RSocketServerBootstrap.class);
-			RSocketServer server = (RSocketServer) ReflectionTestUtils.getField(serverBootstrap, "server");
 
-			rsocketRequesterBuilder.tcp("localhost", server.address().getPort())
+			rsocketRequesterBuilder.tcp("localhost", port)
 				.route("log")
 				.data("\"hello\"")
 				.send()