diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/xml/AbstractXMLStreamReader.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/xml/AbstractXMLStreamReader.java
index 1c92c458fcd0..810464a94991 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/xml/AbstractXMLStreamReader.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/xml/AbstractXMLStreamReader.java
@@ -153,11 +153,25 @@ public int nextTag() throws XMLStreamException {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public void require(int expectedType, String namespaceURI, String localName) throws XMLStreamException {
+	public void require(int expectedType, @Nullable String namespaceURI, @Nullable String localName)
+			throws XMLStreamException {
+
 		int eventType = getEventType();
 		if (eventType != expectedType) {
 			throw new XMLStreamException("Expected [" + expectedType + "] but read [" + eventType + "]");
 		}
+		// This reader only exposes a name and namespace for START_ELEMENT and END_ELEMENT,
+		// so a non-null namespace or local name can only ever match one of those events.
+		if ((namespaceURI != null || localName != null) &&
+				eventType != XMLStreamConstants.START_ELEMENT && eventType != XMLStreamConstants.END_ELEMENT) {
+			throw new XMLStreamException("Current event is not a START_ELEMENT or END_ELEMENT");
+		}
+		if (localName != null && !localName.equals(getLocalName())) {
+			throw new XMLStreamException("Expected local name [" + localName + "] but read [" + getLocalName() + "]");
+		}
+		if (namespaceURI != null && !namespaceURI.equals(getNamespaceURI())) {
+			throw new XMLStreamException("Expected namespace [" + namespaceURI + "] but read [" + getNamespaceURI() + "]");
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/xml/XMLEventStreamReaderTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/xml/XMLEventStreamReaderTests.java
index 40ef3b6410d0..4c56c6284e70 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/xml/XMLEventStreamReaderTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/xml/XMLEventStreamReaderTests.java
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 import javax.xml.stream.XMLEventReader;
 import javax.xml.stream.XMLInputFactory;
+import javax.xml.stream.XMLStreamConstants;
+import javax.xml.stream.XMLStreamException;
 import javax.xml.transform.Transformer;
 import javax.xml.transform.TransformerFactory;
 import javax.xml.transform.stax.StAXSource;
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@
 import org.springframework.core.testfixture.xml.XmlContent;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatExceptionOfType;
 
 class XMLEventStreamReaderTests {
 
@@ -68,4 +71,25 @@ void readCorrect() throws Exception {
 		assertThat(XmlContent.from(writer)).isSimilarTo(XML, nodeFilter);
 	}
 
+	@Test  // require(type, namespaceURI, localName) must validate the name and namespace
+	void requireValidatesNamespaceAndLocalName() throws Exception {
+		advanceToStartElement("root");
+
+		streamReader.require(XMLStreamConstants.START_ELEMENT, null, "root");
+		streamReader.require(XMLStreamConstants.START_ELEMENT, "namespace", "root");
+		streamReader.require(XMLStreamConstants.START_ELEMENT, "namespace", null);
+
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(XMLStreamException.class).isThrownBy(() ->
+				streamReader.require(XMLStreamConstants.START_ELEMENT, null, "wrong"));
+		assertThatExceptionOfType(XMLStreamException.class).isThrownBy(() ->
+				streamReader.require(XMLStreamConstants.START_ELEMENT, "wrong-namespace", "root"));
+	}
+
+	private void advanceToStartElement(String localName) throws Exception {
+		while (streamReader.getEventType() != XMLStreamConstants.START_ELEMENT ||
+				!streamReader.getLocalName().equals(localName)) {
+			streamReader.next();
+		}
+	}
+
 }