diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtils.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtils.java
index df2e0d8ccbf..84d455a61eb 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtils.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtils.java
@@ -1139,7 +1139,8 @@ public abstract class StringUtils {
 	 * @return a {@code Properties} instance representing the array contents,
 	 * or {@code null} if the array to process was {@code null} or empty
 	 */
-	public static @Nullable Properties splitArrayElementsIntoProperties(String[] array, String delimiter) {
+	@Contract("null, _ -> null")
+	public static @Nullable Properties splitArrayElementsIntoProperties(String @Nullable [] array, String delimiter) {
 		return splitArrayElementsIntoProperties(array, delimiter, null);
 	}