diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java
index 1ecc3858af9..db8b511927c 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java
@@ -534,25 +534,29 @@ class DefaultWebClient implements WebClient {
 		@Override
 		public <T> Mono<T> bodyToMono(Class<T> elementClass) {
 			Assert.notNull(elementClass, "Class must not be null");
-			return this.responseMono.flatMap(response -> handleBodyMono(response, response.bodyToMono(elementClass)));
+			return this.responseMono.flatMap(response ->
+					handleBodyMono(response, response.bodyToMono(elementClass)));
 		}
 
 		@Override
 		public <T> Mono<T> bodyToMono(ParameterizedTypeReference<T> elementTypeRef) {
 			Assert.notNull(elementTypeRef, "ParameterizedTypeReference must not be null");
-			return this.responseMono.flatMap(response -> handleBodyMono(response, response.bodyToMono(elementTypeRef)));
+			return this.responseMono.flatMap(response ->
+					handleBodyMono(response, response.bodyToMono(elementTypeRef)));
 		}
 
 		@Override
 		public <T> Flux<T> bodyToFlux(Class<T> elementClass) {
 			Assert.notNull(elementClass, "Class must not be null");
-			return this.responseMono.flatMapMany(response -> handleBodyFlux(response, response.bodyToFlux(elementClass)));
+			return this.responseMono.flatMapMany(response ->
+					handleBodyFlux(response, response.bodyToFlux(elementClass)));
 		}
 
 		@Override
 		public <T> Flux<T> bodyToFlux(ParameterizedTypeReference<T> elementTypeRef) {
 			Assert.notNull(elementTypeRef, "ParameterizedTypeReference must not be null");
-			return this.responseMono.flatMapMany(response -> handleBodyFlux(response, response.bodyToFlux(elementTypeRef)));
+			return this.responseMono.flatMapMany(response ->
+					handleBodyFlux(response, response.bodyToFlux(elementTypeRef)));
 		}
 
 		@Override
@@ -585,18 +589,14 @@ class DefaultWebClient implements WebClient {
 
 		@Override
 		public <T> Mono<ResponseEntity<Flux<T>>> toEntityFlux(Class<T> elementType) {
-			return this.responseMono.map(response ->
-					ResponseEntity.status(response.rawStatusCode())
-							.headers(response.headers().asHttpHeaders())
-							.body(response.bodyToFlux(elementType)));
+			return this.responseMono.flatMap(response ->
+					handlerEntityFlux(response, response.bodyToFlux(elementType)));
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public <T> Mono<ResponseEntity<Flux<T>>> toEntityFlux(ParameterizedTypeReference<T> elementTypeReference) {
-			return this.responseMono.map(response ->
-					ResponseEntity.status(response.rawStatusCode())
-							.headers(response.headers().asHttpHeaders())
-							.body(response.bodyToFlux(elementTypeReference)));
+		public <T> Mono<ResponseEntity<Flux<T>>> toEntityFlux(ParameterizedTypeReference<T> elementTypeRef) {
+			return this.responseMono.flatMap(response ->
+					handlerEntityFlux(response, response.bodyToFlux(elementTypeRef)));
 		}
 
 		@Override
@@ -619,6 +619,16 @@ class DefaultWebClient implements WebClient {
 			return (result != null ? result.flux().switchIfEmpty(body) : body);
 		}
 
+		private  <T> Mono<? extends ResponseEntity<Flux<T>>> handlerEntityFlux(ClientResponse response, Flux<T> body) {
+			ResponseEntity<Flux<T>> entity = new ResponseEntity<>(
+					body.onErrorResume(WebClientUtils.WRAP_EXCEPTION_PREDICATE, exceptionWrappingFunction(response)),
+					response.headers().asHttpHeaders(),
+					response.rawStatusCode());
+
+			Mono<ResponseEntity<Flux<T>>> result = applyStatusHandlers(response);
+			return (result != null ? result.defaultIfEmpty(entity) : Mono.just(entity));
+		}
+
 		private <T> Function<Throwable, Mono<? extends T>> exceptionWrappingFunction(ClientResponse response) {
 			return t -> response.createException().flatMap(ex -> Mono.error(ex.initCause(t)));
 		}
diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClientTests.java b/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClientTests.java
index 8e2a058fd38..ebc6f823001 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClientTests.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClientTests.java
@@ -30,10 +30,12 @@ import org.mockito.Captor;
 import org.mockito.Mock;
 import org.mockito.junit.jupiter.MockitoSettings;
 import org.mockito.quality.Strictness;
+import org.reactivestreams.Publisher;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
 import reactor.test.StepVerifier;
 
 import org.springframework.core.NamedThreadLocal;
+import org.springframework.core.ParameterizedTypeReference;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
@@ -443,6 +445,27 @@ public class DefaultWebClientTests {
 		verify(predicate2).test(HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
 	}
 
+	@Test // gh-26069
+	public void onStatusHandlersApplyForToEntityMethods() {
+
+		ClientResponse response = ClientResponse.create(HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST).build();
+		given(exchangeFunction.exchange(any())).willReturn(Mono.just(response));
+
+		WebClient.ResponseSpec spec = this.builder.build().get().uri("/path").retrieve();
+
+		testStatusHandlerForToEntity(spec.toEntity(String.class));
+		testStatusHandlerForToEntity(spec.toEntity(new ParameterizedTypeReference<String>() {}));
+		testStatusHandlerForToEntity(spec.toEntityList(String.class));
+		testStatusHandlerForToEntity(spec.toEntityList(new ParameterizedTypeReference<String>() {}));
+		testStatusHandlerForToEntity(spec.toEntityFlux(String.class));
+		testStatusHandlerForToEntity(spec.toEntityFlux(new ParameterizedTypeReference<String>() {}));
+	}
+
+	private void testStatusHandlerForToEntity(Publisher<?> responsePublisher) {
+		StepVerifier.create(responsePublisher).expectError(WebClientResponseException.class).verify();
+	}
+
+
 	private ClientRequest verifyAndGetRequest() {
 		ClientRequest request = this.captor.getValue();
 		verify(this.exchangeFunction).exchange(request);