diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/AbstractMessageConverterMethodProcessor.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/AbstractMessageConverterMethodProcessor.java
index ceca4efdf60..ab91e91483c 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/AbstractMessageConverterMethodProcessor.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/AbstractMessageConverterMethodProcessor.java
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageConverterMethodProcessor extends AbstractMe
 	 */
 	private MediaType getMostSpecificMediaType(MediaType acceptType, MediaType produceType) {
 		produceType = produceType.copyQualityValue(acceptType);
-		return MediaType.SPECIFICITY_COMPARATOR.compare(acceptType, produceType) < 0 ? acceptType : produceType;
+		return MediaType.SPECIFICITY_COMPARATOR.compare(acceptType, produceType) <= 0 ? acceptType : produceType;
 	}
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessorTests.java b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessorTests.java
index bca0175866b..bac2add578c 100644
--- a/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessorTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.web.servlet/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/mvc/method/annotation/RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessorTests.java
@@ -315,6 +315,21 @@ public class RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessorTests {
 		assertEquals("Foo", servletResponse.getContentAsString());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void handleReturnValueStringAcceptCharset() throws Exception {
+		this.servletRequest.addHeader("Accept", "text/plain;charset=UTF-8");
+
+		List<HttpMessageConverter<?>> converters = new ArrayList<HttpMessageConverter<?>>();
+		converters.add(new ByteArrayHttpMessageConverter());
+		converters.add(new StringHttpMessageConverter());
+		RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessor processor = new RequestResponseBodyMethodProcessor(converters);
+
+		processor.writeWithMessageConverters("Foo", returnTypeString, webRequest);
+
+		assertEquals("text/plain;charset=UTF-8", servletResponse.getHeader("Content-Type"));
+	}
+
+
 	@ResponseBody
 	public String handle1(@RequestBody String s, int i) {
 		return s;