diff --git a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/BeanUtils.java b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/BeanUtils.java
index 1b3993476eb..5c735f16fb6 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/BeanUtils.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/BeanUtils.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2016 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.
@@ -278,8 +278,12 @@ public abstract class BeanUtils {
 					targetMethod = method;
 					numMethodsFoundWithCurrentMinimumArgs = 1;
 				}
-				else {
-					if (targetMethod.getParameterTypes().length == numParams) {
+				else if (!method.isBridge() && targetMethod.getParameterTypes().length == numParams) {
+					if (targetMethod.isBridge()) {
+						// Prefer regular method over bridge...
+						targetMethod = method;
+					}
+					else {
 						// Additional candidate with same length
 						numMethodsFoundWithCurrentMinimumArgs++;
 					}
@@ -289,7 +293,7 @@ public abstract class BeanUtils {
 		if (numMethodsFoundWithCurrentMinimumArgs > 1) {
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot resolve method '" + methodName +
 					"' to a unique method. Attempted to resolve to overloaded method with " +
-					"the least number of parameters, but there were " +
+					"the least number of parameters but there were " +
 					numMethodsFoundWithCurrentMinimumArgs + " candidates.");
 		}
 		return targetMethod;
diff --git a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/DisposableBeanAdapter.java b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/DisposableBeanAdapter.java
index 4cb8f2e12d9..d3a6c361c2e 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/DisposableBeanAdapter.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/DisposableBeanAdapter.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2016 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.
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ class DisposableBeanAdapter implements DisposableBean, Runnable, Serializable {
 			}
 		}
 		catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
-			throw new BeanDefinitionValidationException("Couldn't find a unique destroy method on bean with name '" +
+			throw new BeanDefinitionValidationException("Could not find unique destroy method on bean with name '" +
 					this.beanName + ": " + ex.getMessage());
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/DefaultListableBeanFactoryTests.java b/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/DefaultListableBeanFactoryTests.java
index e3f877d3736..cbf2f37b929 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/DefaultListableBeanFactoryTests.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/DefaultListableBeanFactoryTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2016 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.
@@ -2890,7 +2890,13 @@ public class DefaultListableBeanFactoryTests {
 	}
 
 
-	public static class BeanWithDestroyMethod {
+	public static abstract class BaseClassWithDestroyMethod {
+
+		public abstract BaseClassWithDestroyMethod close();
+	}
+
+
+	public static class BeanWithDestroyMethod extends BaseClassWithDestroyMethod {
 
 		private static int closeCount = 0;
 
@@ -2900,8 +2906,10 @@ public class DefaultListableBeanFactoryTests {
 			this.inner = inner;
 		}
 
-		public void close() {
+		@Override
+		public BeanWithDestroyMethod close() {
 			closeCount++;
+			return this;
 		}
 	}