diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/rsocket/DefaultRSocketRequesterBuilder.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/rsocket/DefaultRSocketRequesterBuilder.java
index 6b7bd47bc4f..96e6a7bf768 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/rsocket/DefaultRSocketRequesterBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/rsocket/DefaultRSocketRequesterBuilder.java
@@ -161,20 +161,14 @@ final class DefaultRSocketRequesterBuilder implements RSocketRequester.Builder {
 	@Override
 	public RSocketRequester transport(ClientTransport transport) {
 		RSocketStrategies strategies = getRSocketStrategies();
-		Assert.isTrue(!strategies.encoders().isEmpty(), "No encoders");
-		Assert.isTrue(!strategies.decoders().isEmpty(), "No decoders");
-
-		MimeType metaMimeType = (this.metadataMimeType != null ? this.metadataMimeType :
-				MimeTypeUtils.parseMimeType(WellKnownMimeType.MESSAGE_RSOCKET_COMPOSITE_METADATA.getString()));
-
+		MimeType metaMimeType = getMetadataMimeType();
 		MimeType dataMimeType = getDataMimeType(strategies);
-		Mono<Payload> setupPayload = getSetupPayload(dataMimeType, metaMimeType, strategies);
 
 		RSocketConnector connector = initConnector(
-				this.rsocketConnectorConfigurers, metaMimeType, dataMimeType, setupPayload, strategies);
+				this.rsocketConnectorConfigurers, metaMimeType, dataMimeType, strategies);
 
-		return new DefaultRSocketRequester(
-				RSocketClient.from(connector.connect(transport)), null, dataMimeType, metaMimeType, strategies);
+		RSocketClient client = RSocketClient.from(connector.connect(transport));
+		return new DefaultRSocketRequester(client, null, dataMimeType, metaMimeType, strategies);
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -192,35 +186,36 @@ final class DefaultRSocketRequesterBuilder implements RSocketRequester.Builder {
 	@Override
 	@SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
 	public Mono<RSocketRequester> connect(ClientTransport transport) {
-
 		RSocketStrategies rsocketStrategies = getRSocketStrategies();
-		Assert.isTrue(!rsocketStrategies.encoders().isEmpty(), "No encoders");
-		Assert.isTrue(!rsocketStrategies.decoders().isEmpty(), "No decoders");
-
-		MimeType metaMimeType = (this.metadataMimeType != null ? this.metadataMimeType :
-				MimeTypeUtils.parseMimeType(WellKnownMimeType.MESSAGE_RSOCKET_COMPOSITE_METADATA.getString()));
-
+		MimeType metaMimeType = getMetadataMimeType();
 		MimeType dataMimeType = getDataMimeType(rsocketStrategies);
-		Mono<Payload> setupPayload = getSetupPayload(dataMimeType, metaMimeType, rsocketStrategies);
 
 		RSocketConnector connector = initConnector(
-				this.rsocketConnectorConfigurers,
-				metaMimeType, dataMimeType, setupPayload, rsocketStrategies);
+				this.rsocketConnectorConfigurers, metaMimeType, dataMimeType, rsocketStrategies);
 
 		return connector.connect(transport).map(rsocket ->
 				new DefaultRSocketRequester(null, rsocket, dataMimeType, metaMimeType, rsocketStrategies));
 	}
 
+	public MimeType getMetadataMimeType() {
+		return this.metadataMimeType != null ? this.metadataMimeType :
+				MimeTypeUtils.parseMimeType(WellKnownMimeType.MESSAGE_RSOCKET_COMPOSITE_METADATA.getString());
+	}
+
 	private RSocketStrategies getRSocketStrategies() {
+		RSocketStrategies result;
 		if (!this.strategiesConfigurers.isEmpty()) {
 			RSocketStrategies.Builder builder =
 					this.strategies != null ? this.strategies.mutate() : RSocketStrategies.builder();
 			this.strategiesConfigurers.forEach(c -> c.accept(builder));
-			return builder.build();
+			result = builder.build();
 		}
 		else {
-			return this.strategies != null ? this.strategies : RSocketStrategies.builder().build();
+			result = this.strategies != null ? this.strategies : RSocketStrategies.builder().build();
 		}
+		Assert.isTrue(!result.encoders().isEmpty(), "No encoders");
+		Assert.isTrue(!result.decoders().isEmpty(), "No decoders");
+		return result;
 	}
 
 	private MimeType getDataMimeType(RSocketStrategies strategies) {
@@ -294,8 +289,7 @@ final class DefaultRSocketRequesterBuilder implements RSocketRequester.Builder {
 
 	@SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
 	private RSocketConnector initConnector(List<RSocketConnectorConfigurer> connectorConfigurers,
-			MimeType metaMimeType, MimeType dataMimeType, Mono<Payload> setupPayloadMono,
-			RSocketStrategies rsocketStrategies) {
+			MimeType metaMimeType, MimeType dataMimeType, RSocketStrategies rsocketStrategies) {
 
 		RSocketConnector connector = RSocketConnector.create();
 		connectorConfigurers.forEach(c -> c.configure(connector));
@@ -307,9 +301,11 @@ final class DefaultRSocketRequesterBuilder implements RSocketRequester.Builder {
 		connector.metadataMimeType(metaMimeType.toString());
 		connector.dataMimeType(dataMimeType.toString());
 
+		Mono<Payload> setupPayloadMono = getSetupPayload(dataMimeType, metaMimeType, rsocketStrategies);
 		if (setupPayloadMono != EMPTY_SETUP_PAYLOAD) {
 			connector.setupPayload(setupPayloadMono);
 		}
+
 		return connector;
 	}