diff --git a/spring-security-oauth2/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/oauth2/provider/token/RemoteTokenServices.java b/spring-security-oauth2/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/oauth2/provider/token/RemoteTokenServices.java
index 9af98ab6e..c683e0f3d 100644
--- a/spring-security-oauth2/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/oauth2/provider/token/RemoteTokenServices.java
+++ b/spring-security-oauth2/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/oauth2/provider/token/RemoteTokenServices.java
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ public OAuth2Authentication loadAuthentication(String accessToken) throws Authen
 		}
 
 		// gh-838
-		if (!Boolean.TRUE.equals(map.get("active"))) {
+		if (map.containsKey("active") && !"true".equals(String.valueOf(map.get("active")))) {
 			logger.debug("check_token returned active attribute: " + map.get("active"));
 			throw new InvalidTokenException(accessToken);
 		}
diff --git a/spring-security-oauth2/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/oauth2/provider/token/RemoteTokenServicesTest.java b/spring-security-oauth2/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/oauth2/provider/token/RemoteTokenServicesTest.java
index 709755ff5..5d156fbeb 100644
--- a/spring-security-oauth2/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/oauth2/provider/token/RemoteTokenServicesTest.java
+++ b/spring-security-oauth2/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/oauth2/provider/token/RemoteTokenServicesTest.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public void setUp() {
 
 	// gh-838
 	@Test
-	public void loadAuthenticationWhenIntrospectionResponseContainsActiveTrueThenReturnAuthentication() throws Exception {
+	public void loadAuthenticationWhenIntrospectionResponseContainsActiveTrueBooleanThenReturnAuthentication() throws Exception {
 		Map responseAttrs = new HashMap();
 		responseAttrs.put("active", true);		// "active" is the only required attribute as per RFC 7662 (https://tools.ietf.org/search/rfc7662#section-2.2)
 		ResponseEntity<Map> response = new ResponseEntity<Map>(responseAttrs, HttpStatus.OK);
@@ -65,6 +65,19 @@ public void loadAuthenticationWhenIntrospectionResponseContainsActiveTrueThenRet
 		assertNotNull(authentication);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void loadAuthenticationWhenIntrospectionResponseContainsActiveTrueStringThenReturnAuthentication() throws Exception {
+		Map responseAttrs = new HashMap();
+		responseAttrs.put("active", "true");		// "active" is the only required attribute as per RFC 7662 (https://tools.ietf.org/search/rfc7662#section-2.2)
+		ResponseEntity<Map> response = new ResponseEntity<Map>(responseAttrs, HttpStatus.OK);
+		RestTemplate restTemplate = mock(RestTemplate.class);
+		when(restTemplate.exchange(anyString(), any(HttpMethod.class), any(HttpEntity.class), any(Class.class))).thenReturn(response);
+		this.remoteTokenServices.setRestTemplate(restTemplate);
+
+		OAuth2Authentication authentication = this.remoteTokenServices.loadAuthentication("access-token-1234");
+		assertNotNull(authentication);
+	}
+
 	// gh-838
 	@Test(expected = InvalidTokenException.class)
 	public void loadAuthenticationWhenIntrospectionResponseContainsActiveFalseThenThrowInvalidTokenException() throws Exception {
@@ -79,14 +92,15 @@ public void loadAuthenticationWhenIntrospectionResponseContainsActiveFalseThenTh
 	}
 
 	// gh-838
-	@Test(expected = InvalidTokenException.class)
-	public void loadAuthenticationWhenIntrospectionResponseMissingActiveAttributeThenThrowInvalidTokenException() throws Exception {
+	@Test
+	public void loadAuthenticationWhenIntrospectionResponseMissingActiveAttributeThenReturnAuthentication() throws Exception {
 		Map responseAttrs = new HashMap();
 		ResponseEntity<Map> response = new ResponseEntity<Map>(responseAttrs, HttpStatus.OK);
 		RestTemplate restTemplate = mock(RestTemplate.class);
 		when(restTemplate.exchange(anyString(), any(HttpMethod.class), any(HttpEntity.class), any(Class.class))).thenReturn(response);
 		this.remoteTokenServices.setRestTemplate(restTemplate);
 
-		this.remoteTokenServices.loadAuthentication("access-token-1234");
+		OAuth2Authentication authentication = this.remoteTokenServices.loadAuthentication("access-token-1234");
+		assertNotNull(authentication);
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file