diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/support/DefaultHandlerExceptionResolver.java b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/support/DefaultHandlerExceptionResolver.java
index be718122c3f9..92823b35db62 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/support/DefaultHandlerExceptionResolver.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/support/DefaultHandlerExceptionResolver.java
@@ -257,7 +257,8 @@ else if (ex instanceof BindException) {
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler, or {@code null} if none chosen
 	 * at the time of the exception (for example, if multipart resolution failed)
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled, or
+	 * {@code null} indicating the exception should be handled in {@link #handleErrorResponse}
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	@Nullable
@@ -277,7 +278,8 @@ protected ModelAndView handleHttpRequestMethodNotSupported(HttpRequestMethodNotS
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled, or
+	 * {@code null} indicating the exception should be handled in {@link #handleErrorResponse}
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	@Nullable
@@ -297,7 +299,8 @@ protected ModelAndView handleHttpMediaTypeNotSupported(HttpMediaTypeNotSupported
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled, or
+	 * {@code null} indicating the exception should be handled in {@link #handleErrorResponse}
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	@Nullable
@@ -315,7 +318,8 @@ protected ModelAndView handleHttpMediaTypeNotAcceptable(HttpMediaTypeNotAcceptab
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled, or
+	 * {@code null} indicating the exception should be handled in {@link #handleErrorResponse}
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 * @since 4.2
 	 */
@@ -334,7 +338,8 @@ protected ModelAndView handleMissingPathVariable(MissingPathVariableException ex
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled, or
+	 * {@code null} indicating the exception should be handled in {@link #handleErrorResponse}
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	@Nullable
@@ -351,7 +356,8 @@ protected ModelAndView handleMissingServletRequestParameter(MissingServletReques
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled, or
+	 * {@code null} indicating the exception should be handled in {@link #handleErrorResponse}
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	@Nullable
@@ -370,7 +376,8 @@ protected ModelAndView handleMissingServletRequestPartException(MissingServletRe
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled, or
+	 * {@code null} indicating the exception should be handled in {@link #handleErrorResponse}
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	@Nullable
@@ -388,7 +395,8 @@ protected ModelAndView handleServletRequestBindingException(ServletRequestBindin
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled, or
+	 * {@code null} indicating the exception should be handled in {@link #handleErrorResponse}
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	@Nullable
@@ -407,7 +415,8 @@ protected ModelAndView handleMethodArgumentNotValidException(MethodArgumentNotVa
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler, or {@code null} if none chosen
 	 * at the time of the exception (for example, if multipart resolution failed)
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled, or
+	 * {@code null} indicating the exception should be handled in {@link #handleErrorResponse}
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 * @since 4.0
 	 */
@@ -428,7 +437,8 @@ protected ModelAndView handleNoHandlerFoundException(NoHandlerFoundException ex,
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler, or {@code null} if none chosen
 	 * at the time of the exception (for example, if multipart resolution failed)
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled, or
+	 * {@code null} indicating the exception should be handled in {@link #handleErrorResponse}
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 * @since 4.2.8
 	 */
@@ -449,7 +459,7 @@ protected ModelAndView handleAsyncRequestTimeoutException(AsyncRequestTimeoutExc
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 * @since 6.0
 	 */
@@ -485,7 +495,7 @@ protected ModelAndView handleErrorResponse(ErrorResponse errorResponse,
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	protected ModelAndView handleConversionNotSupported(ConversionNotSupportedException ex,
@@ -503,7 +513,7 @@ protected ModelAndView handleConversionNotSupported(ConversionNotSupportedExcept
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	protected ModelAndView handleTypeMismatch(TypeMismatchException ex,
@@ -523,7 +533,7 @@ protected ModelAndView handleTypeMismatch(TypeMismatchException ex,
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	protected ModelAndView handleHttpMessageNotReadable(HttpMessageNotReadableException ex,
@@ -544,7 +554,7 @@ protected ModelAndView handleHttpMessageNotReadable(HttpMessageNotReadableExcept
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	protected ModelAndView handleHttpMessageNotWritable(HttpMessageNotWritableException ex,
@@ -562,7 +572,7 @@ protected ModelAndView handleHttpMessageNotWritable(HttpMessageNotWritableExcept
 	 * @param request current HTTP request
 	 * @param response current HTTP response
 	 * @param handler the executed handler
-	 * @return an empty ModelAndView indicating the exception was handled
+	 * @return an empty {@code ModelAndView} indicating the exception was handled
 	 * @throws IOException potentially thrown from {@link HttpServletResponse#sendError}
 	 */
 	protected ModelAndView handleBindException(BindException ex, HttpServletRequest request,