diff --git a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/builders/WebSecurity.java b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/builders/WebSecurity.java
index fad2eab83a..b517c791e9 100644
--- a/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/builders/WebSecurity.java
+++ b/config/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/builders/WebSecurity.java
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ import org.springframework.security.web.access.expression.DefaultWebSecurityExpr
 import org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.AuthorizationFilter;
 import org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor;
 import org.springframework.security.web.debug.DebugFilter;
+import org.springframework.security.web.firewall.CompositeRequestRejectedHandler;
 import org.springframework.security.web.firewall.HttpFirewall;
+import org.springframework.security.web.firewall.HttpStatusRequestRejectedHandler;
 import org.springframework.security.web.firewall.ObservationMarkingRequestRejectedHandler;
 import org.springframework.security.web.firewall.RequestRejectedHandler;
 import org.springframework.security.web.firewall.StrictHttpFirewall;
@@ -309,8 +311,10 @@ public final class WebSecurity extends AbstractConfiguredSecurityBuilder<Filter,
 			filterChainProxy.setRequestRejectedHandler(this.requestRejectedHandler);
 		}
 		else if (!this.observationRegistry.isNoop()) {
-			filterChainProxy
-					.setRequestRejectedHandler(new ObservationMarkingRequestRejectedHandler(this.observationRegistry));
+			CompositeRequestRejectedHandler requestRejectedHandler = new CompositeRequestRejectedHandler(
+					new ObservationMarkingRequestRejectedHandler(this.observationRegistry),
+					new HttpStatusRequestRejectedHandler());
+			filterChainProxy.setRequestRejectedHandler(requestRejectedHandler);
 		}
 		filterChainProxy.setFilterChainDecorator(getFilterChainDecorator());
 		filterChainProxy.afterPropertiesSet();
diff --git a/config/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/builders/WebSecurityTests.java b/config/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/builders/WebSecurityTests.java
index 62574f77f7..ba1e9e5822 100644
--- a/config/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/builders/WebSecurityTests.java
+++ b/config/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/config/annotation/web/builders/WebSecurityTests.java
@@ -122,6 +122,16 @@ public class WebSecurityTests {
 		assertThat(this.response.getStatus()).isEqualTo(HttpServletResponse.SC_BAD_REQUEST);
 	}
 
+	// gh-12548
+	@Test
+	public void requestRejectedHandlerInvokedWhenOperationalObservationRegistry() throws ServletException, IOException {
+		loadConfig(ObservationRegistryConfig.class);
+		this.request.setServletPath("/spring");
+		this.request.setRequestURI("/spring/\u0019path");
+		this.springSecurityFilterChain.doFilter(this.request, this.response, this.chain);
+		assertThat(this.response.getStatus()).isEqualTo(HttpServletResponse.SC_BAD_REQUEST);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void ignoringMvcMatcherServletPath() throws Exception {
 		loadConfig(MvcMatcherServletPathConfig.class, LegacyMvcMatchingConfig.class);