diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/web/reactive/error/DefaultErrorAttributes.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/web/reactive/error/DefaultErrorAttributes.java
index df57aeef2d..b591aea755 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/web/reactive/error/DefaultErrorAttributes.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/web/reactive/error/DefaultErrorAttributes.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2019 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2020 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.
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.annotation.MergedAnnotation;
 import org.springframework.core.annotation.MergedAnnotations;
 import org.springframework.core.annotation.MergedAnnotations.SearchStrategy;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 import org.springframework.validation.BindingResult;
 import org.springframework.validation.ObjectError;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ResponseStatus;
@@ -108,7 +109,11 @@ public class DefaultErrorAttributes implements ErrorAttributes {
 		if (error instanceof ResponseStatusException) {
 			return ((ResponseStatusException) error).getReason();
 		}
-		return responseStatusAnnotation.getValue("reason", String.class).orElseGet(error::getMessage);
+		String reason = responseStatusAnnotation.getValue("reason", String.class).orElse("");
+		if (StringUtils.hasText(reason)) {
+			return reason;
+		}
+		return (error.getMessage() != null) ? error.getMessage() : "";
 	}
 
 	private Throwable determineException(Throwable error) {
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/web/reactive/error/DefaultErrorAttributesTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/web/reactive/error/DefaultErrorAttributesTests.java
index 930024ad80..1d6227c7ba 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/web/reactive/error/DefaultErrorAttributesTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/web/reactive/error/DefaultErrorAttributesTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2019 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2020 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.
@@ -89,6 +89,18 @@ class DefaultErrorAttributesTests {
 		Map<String, Object> attributes = this.errorAttributes.getErrorAttributes(buildServerRequest(request, error),
 				false);
 		assertThat(attributes.get("error")).isEqualTo(HttpStatus.I_AM_A_TEAPOT.getReasonPhrase());
+		assertThat(attributes.get("message")).isEqualTo("");
+		assertThat(attributes.get("status")).isEqualTo(HttpStatus.I_AM_A_TEAPOT.value());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void annotatedResponseStatusCodeWithExceptionMessage() {
+		Exception error = new CustomException("Test Message");
+		MockServerHttpRequest request = MockServerHttpRequest.get("/test").build();
+		Map<String, Object> attributes = this.errorAttributes.getErrorAttributes(buildServerRequest(request, error),
+				false);
+		assertThat(attributes.get("error")).isEqualTo(HttpStatus.I_AM_A_TEAPOT.getReasonPhrase());
+		assertThat(attributes.get("message")).isEqualTo("Test Message");
 		assertThat(attributes.get("status")).isEqualTo(HttpStatus.I_AM_A_TEAPOT.value());
 	}
 
@@ -226,6 +238,13 @@ class DefaultErrorAttributesTests {
 	@ResponseStatus(HttpStatus.I_AM_A_TEAPOT)
 	static class CustomException extends RuntimeException {
 
+		CustomException() {
+		}
+
+		CustomException(String message) {
+			super(message);
+		}
+
 	}
 
 	@ResponseStatus(value = HttpStatus.I_AM_A_TEAPOT, reason = "Nope!")