diff --git a/module/spring-boot-webservices/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/webservices/client/WebServiceTemplateBuilder.java b/module/spring-boot-webservices/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/webservices/client/WebServiceTemplateBuilder.java
index 916d52eafbe..8a5513e276b 100644
--- a/module/spring-boot-webservices/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/webservices/client/WebServiceTemplateBuilder.java
+++ b/module/spring-boot-webservices/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/webservices/client/WebServiceTemplateBuilder.java
@@ -454,7 +454,8 @@ public class WebServiceTemplateBuilder {
 	 * @see #configure(WebServiceTemplate)
 	 */
 	public WebServiceTemplate build() {
-		return configure(new WebServiceTemplate());
+		return configure(
+				(this.messageFactory != null) ? new WebServiceTemplate(this.messageFactory) : new WebServiceTemplate());
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/module/spring-boot-webservices/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/webservices/client/WebServiceTemplateBuilderTests.java b/module/spring-boot-webservices/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/webservices/client/WebServiceTemplateBuilderTests.java
index 049bff9d3d3..8d39b0c6195 100644
--- a/module/spring-boot-webservices/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/webservices/client/WebServiceTemplateBuilderTests.java
+++ b/module/spring-boot-webservices/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/webservices/client/WebServiceTemplateBuilderTests.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import org.springframework.ws.client.core.FaultMessageResolver;
 import org.springframework.ws.client.core.WebServiceTemplate;
 import org.springframework.ws.client.support.destination.DestinationProvider;
 import org.springframework.ws.client.support.interceptor.ClientInterceptor;
+import org.springframework.ws.soap.saaj.SaajSoapMessageFactory;
 import org.springframework.ws.transport.WebServiceMessageSender;
 import org.springframework.ws.transport.http.ClientHttpRequestMessageSender;
 import org.springframework.ws.transport.http.HttpUrlConnectionMessageSender;
@@ -318,6 +319,12 @@ class WebServiceTemplateBuilderTests {
 		then(template).should().setTransformerFactoryClass(SAXTransformerFactory.class);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void buildShouldDetectWebServiceMessageFactory() {
+		WebServiceTemplate webServiceTemplate = this.builder.build();
+		assertThat(webServiceTemplate.getMessageFactory()).isInstanceOf(SaajSoapMessageFactory.class);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void setWebServiceMessageFactory() {
 		WebServiceMessageFactory messageFactory = mock(WebServiceMessageFactory.class);