diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/projection/PropertyAccessingMethodInterceptor.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/projection/PropertyAccessingMethodInterceptor.java
index 6f19a9d06d..9586948ac4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/projection/PropertyAccessingMethodInterceptor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/projection/PropertyAccessingMethodInterceptor.java
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@
 
 import org.aopalliance.intercept.MethodInterceptor;
 import org.aopalliance.intercept.MethodInvocation;
+
 import org.springframework.beans.BeanUtils;
 import org.springframework.beans.BeanWrapper;
+import org.springframework.core.BridgeMethodResolver;
 import org.springframework.data.util.DirectFieldAccessFallbackBeanWrapper;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
@@ -63,7 +65,8 @@ public Object invoke(@SuppressWarnings("null") MethodInvocation invocation) thro
 		PropertyDescriptor descriptor = BeanUtils.findPropertyForMethod(method);
 
 		if (descriptor == null) {
-			throw new IllegalStateException("Invoked method is not a property accessor");
+			throw new IllegalStateException("Invoked method '%s' is not a property accessor on '%s'"
+					.formatted(invocation.getMethod(), target.getWrappedClass().getName()));
 		}
 
 		if (!isSetterMethod(method, descriptor)) {
@@ -84,9 +87,14 @@ private static boolean isSetterMethod(Method method, PropertyDescriptor descript
 
 	private static Method lookupTargetMethod(MethodInvocation invocation, Class<?> targetType) {
 
-		Method method = BeanUtils.findMethod(targetType, invocation.getMethod().getName(),
-			invocation.getMethod().getParameterTypes());
+		Method invokedMethod = invocation.getMethod();
+		Method method = BeanUtils.findMethod(targetType, invokedMethod.getName(), invokedMethod.getParameterTypes());
+
+		if (method == null) {
+			return invokedMethod;
+		}
 
-		return method != null ? method : invocation.getMethod();
+		return BridgeMethodResolver.findBridgedMethod(method);
 	}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/projection/PropertyAccessingMethodInterceptorUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/projection/PropertyAccessingMethodInterceptorUnitTests.java
index d09f4b1ea6..ddd71cc57e 100755
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/projection/PropertyAccessingMethodInterceptorUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/projection/PropertyAccessingMethodInterceptorUnitTests.java
@@ -121,6 +121,19 @@ void detectsKotlinPropertiesWithLeadingIsOnTargetType() throws Throwable {
 		assertThat(new PropertyAccessingMethodInterceptor(source).invoke(invocation)).isEqualTo(true);
 	}
 
+	@Test // GH-3697
+	void considersPropertyDescriptorsFromPackageProtectedSuperclass() throws Throwable {
+
+		var source = new SomeExposedClass();
+		source.setFirstname("Walter");
+
+		when(invocation.getMethod()).thenReturn(Projection.class.getMethod("getFirstname"));
+
+		Object result = new PropertyAccessingMethodInterceptor(source).invoke(invocation);
+
+		assertThat(result).isEqualTo(source.getFirstname());
+	}
+
 	static class Source {
 
 		String firstname;
@@ -138,4 +151,30 @@ interface Projection {
 
 		String someGarbage();
 	}
+
+	static class SomeBaseclass {
+
+		private String firstname;
+
+		public String getFirstname() {
+			return firstname;
+		}
+
+		public void setFirstname(String firstname) {
+			this.firstname = firstname;
+		}
+	}
+
+	public static class SomeExposedClass extends SomeBaseclass {
+
+		private String lastname;
+
+		public String getLastname() {
+			return lastname;
+		}
+
+		public void setLastname(String lastname) {
+			this.lastname = lastname;
+		}
+	}
 }