diff --git a/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/FunctionReference.java b/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/FunctionReference.java
index 0387b65ef33f..9f715e29870b 100644
--- a/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/FunctionReference.java
+++ b/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/FunctionReference.java
@@ -177,13 +177,28 @@ private TypedValue executeFunctionViaMethodHandle(ExpressionState state, MethodH
 		int spelParamCount = functionArgs.length;
 		int declaredParamCount = declaredParams.parameterCount();
 
+		// We don't use methodHandle.isVarargsCollector(), because a MethodHandle created via
+		// MethodHandle#bindTo() is "never a variable-arity method handle, even if the original
+		// target method handle was." Thus, we merely assume/suspect that varargs are supported
+		// if the last parameter type is an array.
 		boolean isSuspectedVarargs = declaredParams.lastParameterType().isArray();
 
-		if (spelParamCount < declaredParamCount || (spelParamCount > declaredParamCount && !isSuspectedVarargs)) {
-			// incorrect number, including more arguments and not a vararg
-			// perhaps a subset of arguments was provided but the MethodHandle wasn't bound?
+		if (isSuspectedVarargs) {
+			if (spelParamCount < declaredParamCount - 1) {
+				// Varargs, but the number of provided arguments (potentially 0) is insufficient
+				// for a varargs invocation for the number of declared parameters.
+				//
+				// As stated in the Javadoc for MethodHandle#asVarargsCollector(), "the caller
+				// must supply, at a minimum, N-1 arguments, where N is the arity of the target."
+				throw new SpelEvaluationException(SpelMessage.INCORRECT_NUMBER_OF_ARGUMENTS_TO_FUNCTION,
+						this.name, spelParamCount, (declaredParamCount - 1) + " or more");
+			}
+		}
+		else if (spelParamCount != declaredParamCount) {
+			// Incorrect number and not varargs. Perhaps a subset of arguments was provided,
+			// but the MethodHandle wasn't bound?
 			throw new SpelEvaluationException(SpelMessage.INCORRECT_NUMBER_OF_ARGUMENTS_TO_FUNCTION,
-					this.name, functionArgs.length, declaredParamCount);
+					this.name, spelParamCount, declaredParamCount);
 		}
 
 		// simplest case: the MethodHandle is fully bound or represents a static method with no params:
diff --git a/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/TestScenarioCreator.java b/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/TestScenarioCreator.java
index b2aec5c02ccd..4c3442a4d844 100644
--- a/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/TestScenarioCreator.java
+++ b/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/TestScenarioCreator.java
@@ -105,7 +105,12 @@ private static void populateMethodHandles(StandardEvaluationContext testContext)
 		MethodHandle formatObjectVarargs = MethodHandles.lookup().findStatic(TestScenarioCreator.class,
 				"formatObjectVarargs", MethodType.methodType(String.class, String.class, Object[].class));
 		testContext.registerFunction("formatObjectVarargs", formatObjectVarargs);
-}
+
+		// #add(int, int)
+		MethodHandle add = MethodHandles.lookup().findStatic(TestScenarioCreator.class,
+				"add", MethodType.methodType(int.class, int.class, int.class));
+		testContext.registerFunction("add", add);
+	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Register some variables that can be referenced from the tests
@@ -163,4 +168,8 @@ public static String formatObjectVarargs(String format, Object... args) {
 		return String.format(format, args);
 	}
 
+	public static int add(int x, int y) {
+		return x + y;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/VariableAndFunctionTests.java b/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/VariableAndFunctionTests.java
index fbfb7cc04471..ea543ad26ccb 100644
--- a/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/VariableAndFunctionTests.java
+++ b/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/VariableAndFunctionTests.java
@@ -54,9 +54,13 @@ void functionInvocationWithIncorrectNumberOfArguments() {
 		evaluateAndCheckError("#reverseInt(1,2)", INCORRECT_NUMBER_OF_ARGUMENTS_TO_FUNCTION, 0, "reverseInt", 2, 3);
 		evaluateAndCheckError("#reverseInt(1,2,3,4)", INCORRECT_NUMBER_OF_ARGUMENTS_TO_FUNCTION, 0, "reverseInt", 4, 3);
 
-		// MethodHandle: #message(template, args...)
-		evaluateAndCheckError("#message()", INCORRECT_NUMBER_OF_ARGUMENTS_TO_FUNCTION, 0, "message", 0, 2);
-		evaluateAndCheckError("#message('%s')", INCORRECT_NUMBER_OF_ARGUMENTS_TO_FUNCTION, 0, "message", 1, 2);
+		// MethodHandle: #message(String, Object...)
+		evaluateAndCheckError("#message()", INCORRECT_NUMBER_OF_ARGUMENTS_TO_FUNCTION, 0, "message", 0, "1 or more");
+
+		// MethodHandle: #add(int, int)
+		evaluateAndCheckError("#add()", INCORRECT_NUMBER_OF_ARGUMENTS_TO_FUNCTION, 0, "add", 0, 2);
+		evaluateAndCheckError("#add(1)", INCORRECT_NUMBER_OF_ARGUMENTS_TO_FUNCTION, 0, "add", 1, 2);
+		evaluateAndCheckError("#add(1, 2, 3)", INCORRECT_NUMBER_OF_ARGUMENTS_TO_FUNCTION, 0, "add", 3, 2);
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -107,12 +111,6 @@ void functionWithVarargs() {
 	void functionWithVarargsViaMethodHandle_CurrentlyFailing() {
 		// Calling 'public static String formatObjectVarargs(String format, Object... args)' -> String.format(format, args)
 
-		// No var-args and no conversion necessary
-		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs('x')", "x", String.class);
-
-		// No var-args but conversion necessary
-		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs(9)", "9", String.class);
-
 		// No conversion necessary
 		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs('x -> %s', new Object[]{''})", "x -> ", String.class);
 		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs('x -> %s', new String[]{''})", "x -> ", String.class);
@@ -128,13 +126,21 @@ void functionWithVarargsViaMethodHandle_CurrentlyFailing() {
 	void functionWithVarargsViaMethodHandle() {
 		// Calling 'public static String formatObjectVarargs(String format, Object... args)' -> String.format(format, args)
 
+		// No var-args and no conversion necessary
+		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs('x')", "x", String.class);
+
+		// No var-args but conversion necessary
+		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs(9)", "9", String.class);
+
 		// No conversion necessary
+		evaluate("#add(3, 4)", 7, Integer.class);
 		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs('x -> %s', '')", "x -> ", String.class);
 		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs('x -> %s', ' ')", "x ->  ", String.class);
 		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs('x -> %s', 'a')", "x -> a", String.class);
 		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs('x -> %s %s %s', 'a', 'b', 'c')", "x -> a b c", String.class);
 
 		// Conversion necessary
+		evaluate("#add('2', 5.0)", 7, Integer.class);
 		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs('x -> %s %s', 2, 3)", "x -> 2 3", String.class);
 		evaluate("#formatObjectVarargs('x -> %s %s', 'a', 3.0d)", "x -> a 3.0", String.class);