diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/InvocableHandlerMethod.java b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/InvocableHandlerMethod.java
index 5f2d5e95e72..3107bc0e384 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/InvocableHandlerMethod.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/result/method/InvocableHandlerMethod.java
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ public class InvocableHandlerMethod extends HandlerMethod {
 	/**
 	 * Configure a reactive adapter registry. This is needed for cases where the response is
 	 * fully handled within the controller in combination with an async void return value.
-	 * <p>By default this is a {@link ReactiveAdapterRegistry} with default settings.
+	 * <p>By default, this is a {@link ReactiveAdapterRegistry} with default settings.
 	 */
 	public void setReactiveAdapterRegistry(ReactiveAdapterRegistry registry) {
 		this.reactiveAdapterRegistry = registry;
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ public class InvocableHandlerMethod extends HandlerMethod {
 	 */
 	public void setMethodValidator(@Nullable MethodValidator methodValidator) {
 		this.methodValidator = methodValidator;
-		this.validationGroups = (methodValidator != null ?
+		this.validationGroups = (methodValidator != null && (shouldValidateArguments() || shouldValidateReturnValue()) ?
 				methodValidator.determineValidationGroups(getBean(), getBridgedMethod()) : EMPTY_GROUPS);
 	}