diff --git a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver.java b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver.java
index cc926c37e5c..2f0b6bc2a09 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/annotation/QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2023 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2024 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.
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireCandidateResolver extends GenericTypeAwa
 			if (actualValue != null) {
 				actualValue = typeConverter.convertIfNecessary(actualValue, expectedValue.getClass());
 			}
-			if (!expectedValue.equals(actualValue)) {
+			if (!ObjectUtils.nullSafeEquals(expectedValue, actualValue)) {
 				return false;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests.java b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests.java
index f126d20473f..a1cceb0a798 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests.java
@@ -63,12 +63,12 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 				new RootBeanDefinition(QualifiedFieldTestBean.class));
 		AnnotationConfigUtils.registerAnnotationConfigProcessors(context);
 
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.satisfies(ex -> {
-				assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
-				assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
-			});
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.satisfies(ex -> {
+					assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
+					assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
+				});
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -81,12 +81,13 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("autowired",
 				new RootBeanDefinition(QualifiedMethodParameterTestBean.class));
 		AnnotationConfigUtils.registerAnnotationConfigProcessors(context);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.satisfies(ex -> {
-				assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
-				assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
-			});
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.satisfies(ex -> {
+					assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
+					assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
+				});
 
 	}
 
@@ -100,9 +101,10 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("autowired",
 				new RootBeanDefinition(QualifiedConstructorArgumentTestBean.class));
 		AnnotationConfigUtils.registerAnnotationConfigProcessors(context);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(UnsatisfiedDependencyException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.satisfies(ex -> assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired"));
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(UnsatisfiedDependencyException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.satisfies(ex -> assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired"));
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -205,12 +207,13 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("autowired",
 				new RootBeanDefinition(QualifiedFieldTestBean.class));
 		AnnotationConfigUtils.registerAnnotationConfigProcessors(context);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.satisfies(ex -> {
-				assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
-				assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
-			});
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.satisfies(ex -> {
+					assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
+					assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
+				});
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -227,12 +230,13 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("autowired",
 				new RootBeanDefinition(QualifiedMethodParameterTestBean.class));
 		AnnotationConfigUtils.registerAnnotationConfigProcessors(context);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.satisfies(ex -> {
-				assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
-				assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
-			});
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.satisfies(ex -> {
+					assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
+					assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
+				});
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -249,9 +253,10 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("autowired",
 				new RootBeanDefinition(QualifiedConstructorArgumentTestBean.class));
 		AnnotationConfigUtils.registerAnnotationConfigProcessors(context);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(UnsatisfiedDependencyException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.satisfies(ex -> assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired"));
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(UnsatisfiedDependencyException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.satisfies(ex -> assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired"));
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -374,12 +379,13 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("autowired",
 				new RootBeanDefinition(QualifiedFieldWithDefaultValueTestBean.class));
 		AnnotationConfigUtils.registerAnnotationConfigProcessors(context);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.satisfies(ex -> {
-				assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
-				assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
-			});
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.satisfies(ex -> {
+					assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
+					assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
+				});
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -451,12 +457,13 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("autowired",
 				new RootBeanDefinition(QualifiedFieldWithMultipleAttributesTestBean.class));
 		AnnotationConfigUtils.registerAnnotationConfigProcessors(context);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.satisfies(ex -> {
-				assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
-				assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
-			});
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.satisfies(ex -> {
+					assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
+					assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
+				});
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -507,12 +514,13 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("autowired",
 				new RootBeanDefinition(QualifiedFieldWithMultipleAttributesTestBean.class));
 		AnnotationConfigUtils.registerAnnotationConfigProcessors(context);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.satisfies(ex -> {
-				assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
-				assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
-			});
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.satisfies(ex -> {
+					assertThat(ex.getRootCause()).isInstanceOf(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
+					assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired");
+				});
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -574,9 +582,10 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("autowired",
 				new RootBeanDefinition(QualifiedConstructorArgumentWithBaseQualifierNonDefaultValueTestBean.class));
 		AnnotationConfigUtils.registerAnnotationConfigProcessors(context);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(UnsatisfiedDependencyException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.satisfies(ex -> assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired"));
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(UnsatisfiedDependencyException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.satisfies(ex -> assertThat(ex.getBeanName()).isEqualTo("autowired"));
 	}
 
 
@@ -752,7 +761,7 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationAutowireContextTests {
 	@Qualifier
 	@interface TestQualifierWithMultipleAttributes {
 
-		String value() default "default";
+		String[] value() default "default";
 
 		int number();
 	}
diff --git a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/QualifierAnnotationTests.java b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/QualifierAnnotationTests.java
index 49236e0422a..0e966b1742a 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/QualifierAnnotationTests.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/xml/QualifierAnnotationTests.java
@@ -58,9 +58,10 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationTests {
 		BeanDefinitionReader reader = new XmlBeanDefinitionReader(context);
 		reader.loadBeanDefinitions(CONFIG_LOCATION);
 		context.registerSingleton("testBean", NonQualifiedTestBean.class);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.withMessageContaining("found 6");
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.withMessageContaining("found 6");
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -191,9 +192,10 @@ public class QualifierAnnotationTests {
 		BeanDefinitionReader reader = new XmlBeanDefinitionReader(context);
 		reader.loadBeanDefinitions(CONFIG_LOCATION);
 		context.registerSingleton("testBean", QualifiedByAttributesTestBean.class);
-		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class).isThrownBy(
-				context::refresh)
-			.withMessageContaining("found 6");
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(BeanCreationException.class)
+				.isThrownBy(context::refresh)
+				.withMessageContaining("found 6");
 	}
 
 	@Test