diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/client/samples/XmlContentTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/client/samples/XmlContentTests.java
index ee12416dc71..c8b817f6f2a 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/client/samples/XmlContentTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/client/samples/XmlContentTests.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
 import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
+import org.springframework.http.converter.xml.Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter;
 import org.springframework.test.web.servlet.client.RestTestClient;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.GetMapping;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.PathVariable;
@@ -59,7 +60,9 @@ class XmlContentTests {
 			""";
 
 
-	private final RestTestClient client = RestTestClient.bindToController(new PersonController()).build();
+	private final RestTestClient client = RestTestClient.bindToController(new PersonController())
+			.configureServer(server -> server.setMessageConverters(new Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter()))
+			.build();
 
 
 	@Test
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/client/standalone/resultmatches/XmlContentAssertionTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/client/standalone/resultmatches/XmlContentAssertionTests.java
index ba3e9aafeca..f67c455a737 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/client/standalone/resultmatches/XmlContentAssertionTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/client/standalone/resultmatches/XmlContentAssertionTests.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
+import org.springframework.http.converter.xml.Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
 import org.springframework.test.web.Person;
 import org.springframework.test.web.reactive.server.WebTestClient;
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ class XmlContentAssertionTests {
 
 	private final WebTestClient testClient =
 			MockMvcWebTestClient.bindToController(new MusicController())
+					.messageConverters(new Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter())
 					.alwaysExpect(status().isOk())
 					.alwaysExpect(content().contentType(MediaType.parseMediaType("application/xml;charset=UTF-8")))
 					.configureClient()
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/client/standalone/resultmatches/XpathAssertionTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/client/standalone/resultmatches/XpathAssertionTests.java
index ca17a980995..073ef9329bd 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/client/standalone/resultmatches/XpathAssertionTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/client/standalone/resultmatches/XpathAssertionTests.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
+import org.springframework.http.converter.xml.Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
 import org.springframework.test.web.Person;
 import org.springframework.test.web.reactive.server.WebTestClient;
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ class XpathAssertionTests {
 
 	private final WebTestClient testClient =
 			MockMvcWebTestClient.bindToController(new MusicController())
+					.messageConverters(new Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter())
 					.alwaysExpect(status().isOk())
 					.alwaysExpect(content().contentType(MediaType.parseMediaType("application/xml;charset=UTF-8")))
 					.configureClient()
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/standalone/resultmatchers/XmlContentAssertionTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/standalone/resultmatchers/XmlContentAssertionTests.java
index d4bb5c7be9d..677e66bb890 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/standalone/resultmatchers/XmlContentAssertionTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/standalone/resultmatchers/XmlContentAssertionTests.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
+import org.springframework.http.converter.xml.Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
 import org.springframework.test.web.Person;
 import org.springframework.test.web.servlet.MockMvc;
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ class XmlContentAssertionTests {
 	@BeforeEach
 	void setup() {
 		this.mockMvc = standaloneSetup(new MusicController())
+				.setMessageConverters(new Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter())
 				.defaultRequest(get("/").accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_XML, MediaType.parseMediaType("application/xml;charset=UTF-8")))
 				.alwaysExpect(status().isOk())
 				.alwaysExpect(content().contentType(MediaType.parseMediaType("application/xml;charset=UTF-8")))
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/standalone/resultmatchers/XpathAssertionTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/standalone/resultmatchers/XpathAssertionTests.java
index 0bcd2f6a456..58e0d336e4c 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/standalone/resultmatchers/XpathAssertionTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/samples/standalone/resultmatchers/XpathAssertionTests.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
+import org.springframework.http.converter.xml.Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
 import org.springframework.test.web.Person;
 import org.springframework.test.web.servlet.MockMvc;
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ class XpathAssertionTests {
 	@BeforeEach
 	void setup() throws Exception {
 		this.mockMvc = standaloneSetup(new MusicController())
+				.setMessageConverters(new Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter())
 				.defaultRequest(get("/").accept(MediaType.APPLICATION_XML, MediaType.parseMediaType("application/xml;charset=UTF-8")))
 				.alwaysExpect(status().isOk())
 				.alwaysExpect(content().contentType(MediaType.parseMediaType("application/xml;charset=UTF-8")))
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/kotlin/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/MockMvcExtensionsTests.kt b/spring-test/src/test/kotlin/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/MockMvcExtensionsTests.kt
index f2b6fcb1915..56752946625 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/kotlin/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/MockMvcExtensionsTests.kt
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/kotlin/org/springframework/test/web/servlet/MockMvcExtensionsTests.kt
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import org.springframework.http.MediaType.APPLICATION_ATOM_XML
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType.APPLICATION_XML
 import org.springframework.http.MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN
+import org.springframework.http.converter.json.JacksonJsonHttpMessageConverter
+import org.springframework.http.converter.xml.Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter
 import org.springframework.test.json.JsonCompareMode
 import org.springframework.test.web.Person
 import org.springframework.test.web.servlet.setup.MockMvcBuilders
@@ -52,7 +54,9 @@ import java.util.Locale
  */
 class MockMvcExtensionsTests {
 
-	private val mockMvc = MockMvcBuilders.standaloneSetup(PersonController()).build()
+	private val mockMvc = MockMvcBuilders.standaloneSetup(PersonController())
+		.setMessageConverters(JacksonJsonHttpMessageConverter(), Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter())
+		.build()
 
 	@Test
 	fun request() {
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/converter/DefaultHttpMessageConverters.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/converter/DefaultHttpMessageConverters.java
index 0c50bb36955..e94e8ff67fe 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/converter/DefaultHttpMessageConverters.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/http/converter/DefaultHttpMessageConverters.java
@@ -76,39 +76,39 @@ class DefaultHttpMessageConverters implements HttpMessageConverters {
 
 	abstract static class DefaultBuilder {
 
-		private static final boolean JACKSON_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JACKSON_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JACKSON_2_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JACKSON_2_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean GSON_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean GSON_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JSONB_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JSONB_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean KOTLIN_SERIALIZATION_JSON_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean KOTLIN_SERIALIZATION_JSON_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JACKSON_XML_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JACKSON_XML_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JACKSON_2_XML_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JACKSON_2_XML_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JAXB_2_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JAXB_2_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JACKSON_SMILE_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JACKSON_SMILE_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JACKSON_2_SMILE_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JACKSON_2_SMILE_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JACKSON_CBOR_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JACKSON_CBOR_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JACKSON_2_CBOR_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JACKSON_2_CBOR_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean KOTLIN_SERIALIZATION_CBOR_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean KOTLIN_SERIALIZATION_CBOR_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JACKSON_YAML_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JACKSON_YAML_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean JACKSON_2_YAML_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean JACKSON_2_YAML_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean KOTLIN_SERIALIZATION_PROTOBUF_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean KOTLIN_SERIALIZATION_PROTOBUF_PRESENT;
 
-		private static final boolean ROME_PRESENT;
+		static final boolean ROME_PRESENT;
 
 		boolean registerDefaults;
 
@@ -461,6 +461,23 @@ class DefaultHttpMessageConverters implements HttpMessageConverters {
 			return this;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		void detectMessageConverters() {
+			super.detectMessageConverters();
+			// client-specific detection behavior
+			if (this.xmlConverter == null) {
+				if (JACKSON_XML_PRESENT) {
+					this.xmlConverter = new JacksonXmlHttpMessageConverter();
+				}
+				else if (JACKSON_2_XML_PRESENT) {
+					this.xmlConverter = new MappingJackson2XmlHttpMessageConverter();
+				}
+				else if (JAXB_2_PRESENT) {
+					this.xmlConverter = new Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter();
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public HttpMessageConverters build() {
 			if (this.registerDefaults) {
@@ -573,6 +590,20 @@ class DefaultHttpMessageConverters implements HttpMessageConverters {
 			return this;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		void detectMessageConverters() {
+			super.detectMessageConverters();
+			// server-specific detection behavior
+			if (this.xmlConverter == null) {
+				if (JACKSON_XML_PRESENT) {
+					this.xmlConverter = new JacksonXmlHttpMessageConverter();
+				}
+				else if (JACKSON_2_XML_PRESENT) {
+					this.xmlConverter = new MappingJackson2XmlHttpMessageConverter();
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public HttpMessageConverters build() {
 			if (this.registerDefaults) {