diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/DefaultRestClient.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/DefaultRestClient.java
index 196f173246e..62400f6606f 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/DefaultRestClient.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/DefaultRestClient.java
@@ -181,7 +181,11 @@ final class DefaultRestClient implements RestClient {
 	}
 
 	private RequestBodyUriSpec methodInternal(HttpMethod httpMethod) {
-		return new DefaultRequestBodyUriSpec(httpMethod);
+		DefaultRequestBodyUriSpec spec = new DefaultRequestBodyUriSpec(httpMethod);
+		if (this.defaultRequest != null) {
+			this.defaultRequest.accept(spec);
+		}
+		return spec;
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -456,9 +460,6 @@ final class DefaultRestClient implements RestClient {
 			Observation observation = null;
 			URI uri = null;
 			try {
-				if (DefaultRestClient.this.defaultRequest != null) {
-					DefaultRestClient.this.defaultRequest.accept(this);
-				}
 				uri = initUri();
 				HttpHeaders headers = initHeaders();
 				ClientHttpRequest clientRequest = createRequest(uri);
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/client/RestClientIntegrationTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/client/RestClientIntegrationTests.java
index 673ae08cc79..0b0542785f7 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/client/RestClientIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/client/RestClientIntegrationTests.java
@@ -900,6 +900,29 @@ class RestClientIntegrationTests {
 		expectRequest(request -> assertThat(request.getHeader("foo")).isEqualTo("bar"));
 	}
 
+	@ParameterizedRestClientTest
+	void defaultRequestOverride(ClientHttpRequestFactory requestFactory) {
+		startServer(requestFactory);
+
+		prepareResponse(response -> response.setHeader("Content-Type", "text/plain")
+				.setBody("Hello Spring!"));
+
+		RestClient headersClient = this.restClient.mutate()
+				.defaultRequest(request -> request.accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON))
+				.build();
+
+		String result = headersClient.get()
+				.uri("/greeting")
+				.accept(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN)
+				.retrieve()
+				.body(String.class);
+
+		assertThat(result).isEqualTo("Hello Spring!");
+
+		expectRequestCount(1);
+		expectRequest(request -> assertThat(request.getHeader("Accept")).isEqualTo(MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN_VALUE));
+	}
+
 
 	private void prepareResponse(Consumer<MockResponse> consumer) {
 		MockResponse response = new MockResponse();
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 9518978298e..55d1c710682 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
@@ -177,7 +177,11 @@ final class DefaultWebClient implements WebClient {
 	}
 
 	private RequestBodyUriSpec methodInternal(HttpMethod httpMethod) {
-		return new DefaultRequestBodyUriSpec(httpMethod);
+		DefaultRequestBodyUriSpec spec = new DefaultRequestBodyUriSpec(httpMethod);
+		if (this.defaultRequest != null) {
+			this.defaultRequest.accept(spec);
+		}
+		return spec;
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -479,9 +483,6 @@ final class DefaultWebClient implements WebClient {
 		}
 
 		private ClientRequest.Builder initRequestBuilder() {
-			if (defaultRequest != null) {
-				defaultRequest.accept(this);
-			}
 			ClientRequest.Builder builder = ClientRequest.create(this.httpMethod, initUri())
 					.headers(this::initHeaders)
 					.cookies(this::initCookies)
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 2434d9a3f8e..16c433429f4 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
@@ -528,6 +528,23 @@ public class DefaultWebClientTests {
 		StepVerifier.create(responsePublisher).expectError(WebClientResponseException.class).verify();
 	}
 
+	@Test // gh-32053
+	void defaultRequestOverride() {
+		WebClient client = this.builder
+				.defaultRequest(spec -> spec.accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON))
+				.build();
+
+		client.get().uri("/path")
+				.accept(MediaType.IMAGE_PNG)
+				.retrieve()
+				.bodyToMono(Void.class)
+				.block(Duration.ofSeconds(3));
+
+		ClientRequest request = verifyAndGetRequest();
+		assertThat(request.headers().getAccept()).containsExactly(MediaType.IMAGE_PNG);
+	}
+
+
 
 	private ClientRequest verifyAndGetRequest() {
 		ClientRequest request = this.captor.getValue();