diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/SerializableTypeWrapper.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/SerializableTypeWrapper.java
index 0474171c3af..007193722e1 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/SerializableTypeWrapper.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/SerializableTypeWrapper.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2014 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2015 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.
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;
  * {@link GenericArrayType#getGenericComponentType()}) will be automatically wrapped.
  *
  * @author Phillip Webb
+ * @author Juergen Hoeller
  * @since 4.0
  */
 abstract class SerializableTypeWrapper {
@@ -58,15 +59,10 @@ abstract class SerializableTypeWrapper {
 	private static final Class<?>[] SUPPORTED_SERIALIZABLE_TYPES = {
 			GenericArrayType.class, ParameterizedType.class, TypeVariable.class, WildcardType.class};
 
-	private static final Method EQUALS_METHOD = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(Object.class,
-			"equals", Object.class);
-
-	private static final Method GET_TYPE_PROVIDER_METHOD = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(
-			SerializableTypeProxy.class, "getTypeProvider");
-
 	private static final ConcurrentReferenceHashMap<Type, Type> cache =
 			new ConcurrentReferenceHashMap<Type, Type>(256);
 
+
 	/**
 	 * Return a {@link Serializable} variant of {@link Field#getGenericType()}.
 	 */
@@ -161,35 +157,33 @@ abstract class SerializableTypeWrapper {
 		for (Class<?> type : SUPPORTED_SERIALIZABLE_TYPES) {
 			if (type.isAssignableFrom(provider.getType().getClass())) {
 				ClassLoader classLoader = provider.getClass().getClassLoader();
-				Class<?>[] interfaces = new Class<?>[] { type,
-					SerializableTypeProxy.class, Serializable.class };
+				Class<?>[] interfaces = new Class<?>[] {type, SerializableTypeProxy.class, Serializable.class};
 				InvocationHandler handler = new TypeProxyInvocationHandler(provider);
 				cached = (Type) Proxy.newProxyInstance(classLoader, interfaces, handler);
 				cache.put(provider.getType(), cached);
 				return cached;
 			}
 		}
-		throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unsupported Type class " + provider.getType().getClass().getName());
+		throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unsupported Type class: " + provider.getType().getClass().getName());
 	}
 
 
 	/**
 	 * Additional interface implemented by the type proxy.
 	 */
-	static interface SerializableTypeProxy {
+	interface SerializableTypeProxy {
 
 		/**
 		 * Return the underlying type provider.
 		 */
 		TypeProvider getTypeProvider();
-
 	}
 
 
 	/**
 	 * A {@link Serializable} interface providing access to a {@link Type}.
 	 */
-	static interface TypeProvider extends Serializable {
+	interface TypeProvider extends Serializable {
 
 		/**
 		 * Return the (possibly non {@link Serializable}) {@link Type}.
@@ -213,12 +207,11 @@ abstract class SerializableTypeWrapper {
 		public Object getSource() {
 			return null;
 		}
-
 	}
 
 
 	/**
-	 * {@link Serializable} {@link InvocationHandler} used by the Proxied {@link Type}.
+	 * {@link Serializable} {@link InvocationHandler} used by the proxied {@link Type}.
 	 * Provides serialization support and enhances any methods that return {@code Type}
 	 * or {@code Type[]}.
 	 */
@@ -233,10 +226,7 @@ abstract class SerializableTypeWrapper {
 
 		@Override
 		public Object invoke(Object proxy, Method method, Object[] args) throws Throwable {
-			if (GET_TYPE_PROVIDER_METHOD.equals(method)) {
-				return this.provider;
-			}
-			if (EQUALS_METHOD.equals(method)) {
+			if (method.getName().equals("equals")) {
 				Object other = args[0];
 				// Unwrap proxies for speed
 				if (other instanceof Type) {
@@ -244,6 +234,13 @@ abstract class SerializableTypeWrapper {
 				}
 				return this.provider.getType().equals(other);
 			}
+			else if (method.getName().equals("hashCode")) {
+				return this.provider.getType().hashCode();
+			}
+			else if (method.getName().equals("getTypeProvider")) {
+				return this.provider;
+			}
+
 			if (Type.class.equals(method.getReturnType()) && args == null) {
 				return forTypeProvider(new MethodInvokeTypeProvider(this.provider, method, -1));
 			}
@@ -254,6 +251,7 @@ abstract class SerializableTypeWrapper {
 				}
 				return result;
 			}
+
 			try {
 				return method.invoke(this.provider.getType(), args);
 			}
@@ -376,21 +374,27 @@ abstract class SerializableTypeWrapper {
 
 		private final int index;
 
-		private transient Object result;
+		private transient Method method;
+
+		private transient volatile Object result;
 
 		public MethodInvokeTypeProvider(TypeProvider provider, Method method, int index) {
 			this.provider = provider;
 			this.methodName = method.getName();
 			this.index = index;
-			this.result = ReflectionUtils.invokeMethod(method, provider.getType());
+			this.method = method;
 		}
 
 		@Override
 		public Type getType() {
-			if (this.result instanceof Type || this.result == null) {
-				return (Type) this.result;
+			Object result = this.result;
+			if (result == null) {
+				// Lazy invocation of the target method on the provided type
+				result = ReflectionUtils.invokeMethod(this.method, this.provider.getType());
+				// Cache the result for further calls to getType()
+				this.result = result;
 			}
-			return ((Type[])this.result)[this.index];
+			return (result instanceof Type[] ? ((Type[]) result)[this.index] : (Type) result);
 		}
 
 		@Override
@@ -400,8 +404,9 @@ abstract class SerializableTypeWrapper {
 
 		private void readObject(ObjectInputStream inputStream) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
 			inputStream.defaultReadObject();
-			Method method = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(this.provider.getType().getClass(), this.methodName);
-			this.result = ReflectionUtils.invokeMethod(method, this.provider.getType());
+			this.method = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(this.provider.getType().getClass(), this.methodName);
+			Assert.state(Type.class.equals(this.method.getReturnType()) ||
+					Type[].class.equals(this.method.getReturnType()));
 		}
 	}