diff --git a/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceWebMvcConfigurer.java b/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceWebMvcConfigurer.java
index d55993e6c..75a8b4ca2 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceWebMvcConfigurer.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceWebMvcConfigurer.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package org.springframework.cloud.sleuth.instrument.web;
 import brave.spring.webmvc.SpanCustomizingAsyncHandlerInterceptor;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Import;
 import org.springframework.web.servlet.config.annotation.InterceptorRegistry;
@@ -40,4 +41,9 @@ class TraceWebMvcConfigurer implements WebMvcConfigurer {
 	public void addInterceptors(InterceptorRegistry registry) {
 		registry.addInterceptor(this.applicationContext.getBean(SpanCustomizingAsyncHandlerInterceptor.class));
 	}
+
+	@Bean
+	SpanCustomizingAsyncHandlerInterceptor spanCustomizingAsyncHandlerInterceptor() {
+		return new SpanCustomizingAsyncHandlerInterceptor();
+	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/client/TraceWebClientBeanPostProcessor.java b/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/client/TraceWebClientBeanPostProcessor.java
index 084747661..6a696421a 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/client/TraceWebClientBeanPostProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/client/TraceWebClientBeanPostProcessor.java
@@ -146,6 +146,15 @@ class TraceExchangeFilterFunction implements ExchangeFilterFunction {
 					return continuation.doAfterSuccessOrError(
 							(clientResponse, throwable1) -> {
 								Throwable throwable = throwable1;
+								if (clientResponse == null || clientResponse.statusCode() == null) {
+									if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
+										log.debug(
+												"No response was returned. Will close the span ["
+														+ clientSpan + "]");
+									}
+									handleReceive(clientSpan, ws, clientResponse, throwable);
+									return;
+								}
 								boolean error = clientResponse.statusCode().is4xxClientError() ||
 										clientResponse.statusCode().is5xxServerError();
 								if (error) {
@@ -159,8 +168,7 @@ class TraceExchangeFilterFunction implements ExchangeFilterFunction {
 													.value() + "] and the reason is [" + clientResponse
 													.statusCode().getReasonPhrase() + "]");
 								}
-								handler().handleReceive(clientResponse, throwable, clientSpan);
-								ws.close();
+								handleReceive(clientSpan, ws, clientResponse, throwable);
 							});
 				})
 				.subscriberContext(c -> {
@@ -184,6 +192,12 @@ class TraceExchangeFilterFunction implements ExchangeFilterFunction {
 		return exchange;
 	}
 
+	private void handleReceive(Span clientSpan, Tracer.SpanInScope ws,
+			ClientResponse clientResponse, Throwable throwable) {
+		handler().handleReceive(clientResponse, throwable, clientSpan);
+		ws.close();
+	}
+
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	HttpClientHandler<ClientRequest, ClientResponse> handler() {
 		if (this.handler == null) {