diff --git a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver.java b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver.java
index 0cd28983347..d18a76ffed3 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver.java
@@ -348,8 +348,20 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver extends GenericTypeAwa
 		if (!super.isRequired(descriptor)) {
 			return false;
 		}
-		Autowired autowired = descriptor.getAnnotation(Autowired.class);
-		return (autowired == null || autowired.required());
+
+		for (Annotation ann : descriptor.getAnnotations()) {
+			// Directly present?
+			if (ann instanceof Autowired autowired) {
+				return autowired.required();
+			}
+			// Meta-present?
+			Autowired autowired = AnnotationUtils.findAnnotation(ann.annotationType(), Autowired.class);
+			if (autowired != null) {
+				return autowired.required();
+			}
+		}
+		// No @Autowired annotation present: default to true.
+		return true;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolverTests.java b/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolverTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7d62f92df5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolverTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-present 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.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation;
+
+import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
+import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.BeforeTestExecutionCallback;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.RegisterExtension;
+
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.DependencyDescriptor;
+import org.springframework.core.MethodParameter;
+import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.SoftAssertions.assertSoftly;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for {@link QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver}.
+ *
+ * @author Sam Brannen
+ * @since 7.0.5
+ */
+class QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolverTests {
+
+	final QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver resolver = new QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver();
+
+	Method testMethod;
+
+	@RegisterExtension
+	BeforeTestExecutionCallback extension = context -> this.testMethod = context.getRequiredTestMethod();
+
+
+	@Test
+	void isNotAutowired() {
+		assertRequired();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void isAutowiredRequired() {
+		assertRequired();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void isAutowiredOptional() {
+		assertNotRequired();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void isMetaAutowiredRequired() {
+		assertRequired();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void isMetaAutowiredOptional() {
+		assertNotRequired();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void isMetaMetaAutowiredRequired() {
+		assertRequired();
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void isMetaMetaAutowiredOptional() {
+		assertNotRequired();
+	}
+
+
+	private void assertRequired() {
+		assertSoftly(softly -> {
+			softly.assertThat(this.resolver.isRequired(getFieldDescriptor()))
+					.as("%sField is required", this.testMethod.getName()).isTrue();
+			softly.assertThat(this.resolver.isRequired(getParameterDescriptor()))
+					.as("parameter in %sParameter() is required", this.testMethod.getName()).isTrue();
+		});
+	}
+
+	private void assertNotRequired() {
+		assertSoftly(softly -> {
+			softly.assertThat(this.resolver.isRequired(getFieldDescriptor()))
+					.as("%sField is not required", this.testMethod.getName()).isFalse();
+			softly.assertThat(this.resolver.isRequired(getParameterDescriptor()))
+					.as("parameter in %sParameter() is not required", this.testMethod.getName()).isFalse();
+		});
+	}
+
+	private DependencyDescriptor getFieldDescriptor() {
+		var field = ReflectionUtils.findField(getClass(), this.testMethod.getName() + "Field");
+		return new DependencyDescriptor(field, true);
+	}
+
+	private DependencyDescriptor getParameterDescriptor() {
+		var method = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(getClass(), this.testMethod.getName() + "Parameter", String.class);
+		var methodParameter = MethodParameter.forExecutable(method, 0);
+		return new DependencyDescriptor(methodParameter, true);
+	}
+
+
+	String isNotAutowiredField;
+
+	@Autowired
+	String isAutowiredRequiredField;
+
+	@Autowired(required = false)
+	String isAutowiredOptionalField;
+
+	@MetaAutowiredRequired
+	String isMetaAutowiredRequiredField;
+
+	@MetaAutowiredOptional
+	String isMetaAutowiredOptionalField;
+
+	@MetaMetaAutowiredRequired
+	String isMetaMetaAutowiredRequiredField;
+
+	@MetaMetaAutowiredOptional
+	String isMetaMetaAutowiredOptionalField;
+
+
+
+	void isNotAutowiredParameter(String enigma) {
+	}
+
+	void isAutowiredRequiredParameter(@Autowired String enigma) {
+	}
+
+	void isAutowiredOptionalParameter(@Autowired(required = false) String enigma) {
+	}
+
+	void isMetaAutowiredRequiredParameter(@MetaAutowiredRequired String enigma) {
+	}
+
+	void isMetaAutowiredOptionalParameter(@MetaAutowiredOptional String enigma) {
+	}
+
+	void isMetaMetaAutowiredRequiredParameter(@MetaMetaAutowiredRequired String enigma) {
+	}
+
+	void isMetaMetaAutowiredOptionalParameter(@MetaMetaAutowiredOptional String enigma) {
+	}
+
+
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@Autowired
+	@interface MetaAutowiredRequired {
+	}
+
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@Autowired(required = false)
+	@interface MetaAutowiredOptional {
+	}
+
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@MetaAutowiredRequired
+	@interface MetaMetaAutowiredRequired {
+	}
+
+	@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+	@MetaAutowiredOptional
+	@interface MetaMetaAutowiredOptional {
+	}
+
+}