diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/codec/json/GsonEncoder.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/codec/json/GsonEncoder.java
index 5066e8fabf8..7ce4130ee31 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/codec/json/GsonEncoder.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/codec/json/GsonEncoder.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBuffer;
 import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBufferFactory;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
 import org.springframework.http.codec.HttpMessageEncoder;
+import org.springframework.http.codec.ServerSentEvent;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.FastByteArrayOutputStream;
 import org.springframework.util.MimeType;
@@ -106,7 +107,8 @@ public class GsonEncoder extends AbstractEncoder<Object> implements HttpMessageE
 		if (!super.canEncode(elementType, mimeType)) {
 			return false;
 		}
-		return !String.class.isAssignableFrom(elementType.toClass());
+		Class<?> elementClass = elementType.toClass();
+		return !(String.class.isAssignableFrom(elementClass) || ServerSentEvent.class.isAssignableFrom(elementClass));
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/codec/support/ServerDefaultCodecsImpl.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/codec/support/ServerDefaultCodecsImpl.java
index 2275e6e897f..6f299098150 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/codec/support/ServerDefaultCodecsImpl.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/codec/support/ServerDefaultCodecsImpl.java
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ class ServerDefaultCodecsImpl extends BaseDefaultCodecs implements ServerCodecCo
 	private @Nullable Encoder<?> getSseEncoder() {
 		return this.sseEncoder != null ? this.sseEncoder :
 				(JACKSON_PRESENT || JACKSON_2_PRESENT) ? getJacksonJsonEncoder() :
+				GSON_PRESENT ? getGsonEncoder() :
 				KOTLIN_SERIALIZATION_JSON_PRESENT ? getKotlinSerializationJsonEncoder() :
 				null;
 	}
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/codec/json/GsonEncoderTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/codec/json/GsonEncoderTests.java
index 9fdbe138300..170f023e159 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/codec/json/GsonEncoderTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/http/codec/json/GsonEncoderTests.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import reactor.test.StepVerifier;
 import org.springframework.core.ResolvableType;
 import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBuffer;
 import org.springframework.core.testfixture.codec.AbstractEncoderTests;
+import org.springframework.http.codec.ServerSentEvent;
 import org.springframework.web.testfixture.xml.Pojo;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
@@ -42,7 +43,8 @@ class GsonEncoderTests extends AbstractEncoderTests<GsonEncoder> {
 		assertThat(this.encoder.canEncode(pojoType, APPLICATION_JSON)).isTrue();
 		assertThat(this.encoder.canEncode(pojoType, APPLICATION_NDJSON)).isTrue();
 		assertThat(this.encoder.canEncode(pojoType, null)).isTrue();
-
+		assertThat(this.encoder.canEncode(ResolvableType.forClass(ServerSentEvent.class), null)).isFalse();
+		assertThat(this.encoder.canEncode(ResolvableType.forClass(String.class), null)).isFalse();
 	}
 
 	@Test