diff --git a/spring-cloud-openfeign-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/openfeign/support/SpringMvcContract.java b/spring-cloud-openfeign-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/openfeign/support/SpringMvcContract.java
index 6dbbdd1c..796f650e 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-openfeign-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/openfeign/support/SpringMvcContract.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-openfeign-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/openfeign/support/SpringMvcContract.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2013-2024 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2013-2025 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.
@@ -279,16 +279,16 @@ public class SpringMvcContract extends Contract.BaseContract implements Resource
 		}
 
 		// produces
-		parseProduces(data, method, methodMapping);
+		parseProduces(data, methodMapping);
 
 		// consumes
-		parseConsumes(data, method, methodMapping);
+		parseConsumes(data, methodMapping);
 
 		// headers
-		parseHeaders(data, method, methodMapping);
+		parseHeaders(data, methodMapping);
 
 		// params
-		parseParams(data, method, methodMapping);
+		parseParams(data, methodMapping);
 
 		data.indexToExpander(new LinkedHashMap<>());
 	}
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ public class SpringMvcContract extends Contract.BaseContract implements Resource
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	private void parseProduces(MethodMetadata md, Method method, RequestMapping annotation) {
+	private void parseProduces(MethodMetadata md, RequestMapping annotation) {
 		String[] serverProduces = annotation.produces();
 		String clientAccepts = serverProduces.length == 0 ? null : emptyToNull(serverProduces[0]);
 		if (clientAccepts != null) {
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ public class SpringMvcContract extends Contract.BaseContract implements Resource
 		}
 	}
 
-	private void parseConsumes(MethodMetadata md, Method method, RequestMapping annotation) {
+	private void parseConsumes(MethodMetadata md, RequestMapping annotation) {
 		String[] serverConsumes = annotation.consumes();
 		String clientProduces = serverConsumes.length == 0 ? null : emptyToNull(serverConsumes[0]);
 		if (clientProduces != null) {
@@ -387,9 +387,9 @@ public class SpringMvcContract extends Contract.BaseContract implements Resource
 		}
 	}
 
-	private void parseHeaders(MethodMetadata md, Method method, RequestMapping annotation) {
+	private void parseHeaders(MethodMetadata md, RequestMapping annotation) {
 		// TODO: only supports one header value per key
-		if (annotation.headers() != null && annotation.headers().length > 0) {
+		if (annotation.headers() != null) {
 			for (String header : annotation.headers()) {
 				int index = header.indexOf('=');
 				if (!header.contains("!=") && index >= 0) {
@@ -400,9 +400,9 @@ public class SpringMvcContract extends Contract.BaseContract implements Resource
 		}
 	}
 
-	private void parseParams(MethodMetadata data, Method method, RequestMapping methodMapping) {
+	private void parseParams(MethodMetadata data, RequestMapping methodMapping) {
 		String[] params = methodMapping.params();
-		if (params == null || params.length == 0) {
+		if (params == null) {
 			return;
 		}
 		for (String param : params) {
@@ -411,7 +411,10 @@ public class SpringMvcContract extends Contract.BaseContract implements Resource
 				data.template().query(resolve(nameValueResolver.getName()), resolve(nameValueResolver.getValue()));
 			}
 			else {
-				throw new IllegalArgumentException("Negated params are not supported: " + param);
+				if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) {
+					LOG.debug("Negated params are not supported by Feign and ignored during parameter processing: "
+							+ param);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -477,13 +480,7 @@ public class SpringMvcContract extends Contract.BaseContract implements Resource
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	private static class ConvertingExpanderFactory {
-
-		private final ConversionService conversionService;
-
-		ConvertingExpanderFactory(ConversionService conversionService) {
-			this.conversionService = conversionService;
-		}
+	private record ConvertingExpanderFactory(ConversionService conversionService) {
 
 		Param.Expander getExpander(TypeDescriptor typeDescriptor) {
 			return value -> {
diff --git a/spring-cloud-openfeign-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/openfeign/support/SpringMvcContractTests.java b/spring-cloud-openfeign-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/openfeign/support/SpringMvcContractTests.java
index 55a3b97d..2efa608b 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-openfeign-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/openfeign/support/SpringMvcContractTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-openfeign-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/openfeign/support/SpringMvcContractTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2013-2024 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2013-2025 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.
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ import static com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonAutoDetect.Visibility.NONE;
 import static feign.CollectionFormat.CSV;
 import static feign.CollectionFormat.SSV;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatCode;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatExceptionOfType;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatIllegalArgumentException;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assumptions.assumeTrue;
@@ -567,11 +568,11 @@ class SpringMvcContractTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	void testProcessAnnotations_ParseParams_NotEqualParams() throws Exception {
-		assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(() -> {
-			Method method = TestTemplate_ParseParams.class.getDeclaredMethod("notEqualParams");
+	void testProcessAnnotations_ParseParams_NegatedParams() {
+		assertThatCode(() -> {
+			Method method = TestTemplate_ParseParams.class.getDeclaredMethod("negatedParams");
 			contract.parseAndValidateMetadata(method.getDeclaringClass(), method);
-		});
+		}).doesNotThrowAnyException();
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -895,7 +896,7 @@ class SpringMvcContractTests {
 		ResponseEntity<TestObject> mixParams();
 
 		@GetMapping(value = "test", params = { "p1!=1" })
-		ResponseEntity<TestObject> notEqualParams();
+		ResponseEntity<TestObject> negatedParams();
 
 		@GetMapping(value = "test", params = { "p1=1" })
 		ResponseEntity<TestObject> paramsAndRequestParam(@RequestParam("p2") String p2);
@@ -1066,13 +1067,7 @@ class SpringMvcContractTests {
 
 		@Override
 		public String toString() {
-			return new StringBuilder("TestObject{").append("something='")
-				.append(something)
-				.append("', ")
-				.append("number=")
-				.append(number)
-				.append("}")
-				.toString();
+			return "TestObject{" + "something='" + something + "', " + "number=" + number + "}";
 		}
 
 	}