diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/MainComponent.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/MainComponent.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9f97b108da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/MainComponent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean;
+
+import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
+
+@Component
+public class MainComponent {
+
+    private SubComponent subComponent;
+
+    public MainComponent(final SubComponent subComponent) {
+        this.subComponent = subComponent;
+    }
+
+    public SubComponent getSubComponent() {
+        return subComponent;
+    }
+
+    public void setSubComponent(final SubComponent subComponent) {
+        this.subComponent = subComponent;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/SubComponent.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/SubComponent.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b171d28db4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/SubComponent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean;
+
+import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
+
+@Component
+public class SubComponent {
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nonrequired/NonRequiredConfiguration.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nonrequired/NonRequiredConfiguration.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d34479a565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nonrequired/NonRequiredConfiguration.java
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean.nonrequired;
+
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.ComponentScan;
+
+@ComponentScan
+public class NonRequiredConfiguration {
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nonrequired/NonRequiredMainComponent.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nonrequired/NonRequiredMainComponent.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f181d2068d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nonrequired/NonRequiredMainComponent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean.nonrequired;
+
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
+import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
+
+@Component
+public class NonRequiredMainComponent {
+
+    @Autowired(required = false)
+    private NonRequiredSubComponent subComponent;
+
+    public NonRequiredSubComponent getSubComponent() {
+        return subComponent;
+    }
+
+    public void setSubComponent(final NonRequiredSubComponent subComponent) {
+        this.subComponent = subComponent;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nonrequired/NonRequiredSubComponent.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nonrequired/NonRequiredSubComponent.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6678880a24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nonrequired/NonRequiredSubComponent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean.nonrequired;
+
+public class NonRequiredSubComponent {
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablejava/NullableJavaConfiguration.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablejava/NullableJavaConfiguration.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c13dbe3363
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablejava/NullableJavaConfiguration.java
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean.nullablejava;
+
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.ComponentScan;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+
+@Configuration
+@ComponentScan
+public class NullableJavaConfiguration {
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablejava/NullableMainComponent.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablejava/NullableMainComponent.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f35ead7477
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablejava/NullableMainComponent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean.nullablejava;
+
+import jakarta.annotation.Nullable;
+import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
+
+@Component
+public class NullableMainComponent {
+
+    private NullableSubComponent subComponent;
+
+    public NullableMainComponent(final @Nullable NullableSubComponent subComponent) {
+        this.subComponent = subComponent;
+    }
+
+    public NullableSubComponent getSubComponent() {
+        return subComponent;
+    }
+
+    public void setSubComponent(final NullableSubComponent subComponent) {
+        this.subComponent = subComponent;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablejava/NullableSubComponent.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablejava/NullableSubComponent.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c3cbd78c43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablejava/NullableSubComponent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean.nullablejava;
+
+public class NullableSubComponent {
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablespring/NullableConfiguration.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablespring/NullableConfiguration.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..17942d31cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablespring/NullableConfiguration.java
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean.nullablespring;
+
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.MainComponent;
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.SubComponent;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+
+@Configuration
+public class NullableConfiguration {
+
+    @Bean
+    public MainComponent mainComponent(SubComponent subComponent) {
+        return new MainComponent(subComponent);
+    }
+
+    @Bean
+    public SubComponent subComponent() {
+        return null;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablespring/NullableSupplierConfiguration.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablespring/NullableSupplierConfiguration.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..debaa60fa9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/nullablespring/NullableSupplierConfiguration.java
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean.nullablespring;
+
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.MainComponent;
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.SubComponent;
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+
+@Configuration
+public class NullableSupplierConfiguration {
+
+    @Bean
+    public MainComponent mainComponent(Supplier<SubComponent> subComponentSupplier) {
+        return new MainComponent(subComponentSupplier.get());
+    }
+
+    @Bean
+    public Supplier<SubComponent> subComponentSupplier() {
+        return () -> null;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/optionable/OptionableConfiguration.java b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/optionable/OptionableConfiguration.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fd54553e8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/main/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/optionable/OptionableConfiguration.java
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean.optionable;
+
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.MainComponent;
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.SubComponent;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+
+@Configuration
+public class OptionableConfiguration {
+
+    @Bean
+    public MainComponent mainComponent(Optional<SubComponent> optionalSubComponent) {
+        return new MainComponent(optionalSubComponent.orElse(null));
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/test/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/NullableXMLComponentUnitTest.java b/spring-di-4/src/test/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/NullableXMLComponentUnitTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2997da478c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/test/java/com/baeldung/nullablebean/NullableXMLComponentUnitTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+package com.baeldung.nullablebean;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
+
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.nonrequired.NonRequiredConfiguration;
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.nonrequired.NonRequiredMainComponent;
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.nullablejava.NullableJavaConfiguration;
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.nullablejava.NullableMainComponent;
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.nullablespring.NullableConfiguration;
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.nullablespring.NullableSupplierConfiguration;
+import com.baeldung.nullablebean.optionable.OptionableConfiguration;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.UnsatisfiedDependencyException;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.AnnotationConfigApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;
+
+class NullableXMLComponentUnitTest {
+
+    @Test
+    void givenContextWhenCreatingNullableMainComponentThenSubComponentIsNull() {
+        final AnnotationConfigApplicationContext context = new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(
+            NullableJavaConfiguration.class);
+        final NullableMainComponent bean = context.getBean(NullableMainComponent.class);
+        assertNull(bean.getSubComponent());
+    }
+    @Test
+    void givenNonRequiredContextWhenCreatingMainComponentThenSubComponentIsNull() {
+        final AnnotationConfigApplicationContext context = new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(
+            NonRequiredConfiguration.class);
+        final NonRequiredMainComponent bean = context.getBean(NonRequiredMainComponent.class);
+        assertNull(bean.getSubComponent());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void givenOptionableContextWhenCreatingMainComponentThenSubComponentIsNull() {
+        final AnnotationConfigApplicationContext context = new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(
+            OptionableConfiguration.class);
+        final MainComponent bean = context.getBean(MainComponent.class);
+        assertNull(bean.getSubComponent());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void givenNullableSupplierContextWhenCreatingMainComponentThenSubComponentIsNull() {
+        final AnnotationConfigApplicationContext context = new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(
+            NullableSupplierConfiguration.class);
+        final MainComponent bean = context.getBean(MainComponent.class);
+        assertNull(bean.getSubComponent());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void givenNullableContextWhenCreatingMainComponentThenSubComponentIsNull() {
+        assertThrows(UnsatisfiedDependencyException.class, () -> new AnnotationConfigApplicationContext(
+            NullableConfiguration.class));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void givenNullableXMLContextWhenCreatingMainComponentThenSubComponentIsNull() {
+        final ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
+            "nullable-application-context.xml");
+        final MainComponent bean = context.getBean(MainComponent.class);
+        assertNull(bean.getSubComponent());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void givenNullableSpELXMLContextWhenCreatingMainComponentThenSubComponentIsNull() {
+        final ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
+            "nullable-spel-application-context.xml");
+        final MainComponent bean = context.getBean(MainComponent.class);
+        assertNull(bean.getSubComponent());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void givenNullableSpELXMLContextWithNullablePropertiesWhenCreatingMainComponentThenSubComponentIsNull() {
+        final ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
+            "nullable-configurable-spel-application-context.xml");
+        final MainComponent bean = context.getBean(MainComponent.class);
+        assertNull(bean.getSubComponent());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void givenNullableSpELXMLContextWithNonNullablePropertiesWhenCreatingMainComponentThenSubComponentIsNull() {
+        final ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
+            "non-nullable-configurable-spel-application-context.xml");
+        final MainComponent bean = context.getBean(MainComponent.class);
+        assertNotNull(bean.getSubComponent());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void givenXMLContextWhenCreatingMainComponentThenSubComponentNotNull() {
+        final ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
+            "non-nullable-application-context.xml");
+        final MainComponent bean = context.getBean(MainComponent.class);
+        assertNotNull(bean.getSubComponent());
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/non-nullable-application-context.xml b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/non-nullable-application-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..07a8115bac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/non-nullable-application-context.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE beans PUBLIC "-//SPRING//DTD BEAN 2.0//EN"
+  "http://www.springframework.org/dtd/spring-beans-2.0.dtd">
+
+<beans>
+  <bean class="com.baeldung.nullablebean.MainComponent" name="mainComponent">
+    <constructor-arg ref="subComponent"/>
+  </bean>
+  <bean class="com.baeldung.nullablebean.SubComponent" name="subComponent"/>
+</beans>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/non-nullable-configurable-spel-application-context.xml b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/non-nullable-configurable-spel-application-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8a7b107ee4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/non-nullable-configurable-spel-application-context.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE beans PUBLIC "-//SPRING//DTD BEAN 2.0//EN"
+  "http://www.springframework.org/dtd/spring-beans-2.0.dtd">
+
+<beans>
+  <bean id="propertyConfigurer"
+    class="org.springframework.beans.factory.config.PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer">
+    <property name="location" value="classpath:non-nullable.properties"/>
+  </bean>
+  <bean class="com.baeldung.nullablebean.MainComponent" name="mainComponent">
+    <constructor-arg value="#{ ${nullableBean} }"/>
+  </bean>
+  <bean class="com.baeldung.nullablebean.SubComponent" name="subComponent"/>
+</beans>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/non-nullable.properties b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/non-nullable.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..76b127a2e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/non-nullable.properties
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+nullableBean = subComponent
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable-application-context.xml b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable-application-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9794dbbfff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable-application-context.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE beans PUBLIC "-//SPRING//DTD BEAN 2.0//EN"
+  "http://www.springframework.org/dtd/spring-beans-2.0.dtd">
+
+<beans>
+  <bean class="com.baeldung.nullablebean.MainComponent" name="mainComponent">
+    <constructor-arg>
+      <null/>
+    </constructor-arg>
+  </bean>
+</beans>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable-configurable-spel-application-context.xml b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable-configurable-spel-application-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f6f04a6289
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable-configurable-spel-application-context.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE beans PUBLIC "-//SPRING//DTD BEAN 2.0//EN"
+  "http://www.springframework.org/dtd/spring-beans-2.0.dtd">
+
+<beans>
+  <bean id="propertyConfigurer"
+    class="org.springframework.beans.factory.config.PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer">
+    <property name="location" value="classpath:nullable.properties"/>
+  </bean>
+  <bean class="com.baeldung.nullablebean.MainComponent" name="mainComponent">
+    <constructor-arg value="#{ ${nullableBean} }"/>
+  </bean>
+  <bean class="com.baeldung.nullablebean.SubComponent" name="subComponent"/>
+</beans>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable-spel-application-context.xml b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable-spel-application-context.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c0a14b4cbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable-spel-application-context.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE beans PUBLIC "-//SPRING//DTD BEAN 2.0//EN"
+  "http://www.springframework.org/dtd/spring-beans-2.0.dtd">
+
+<beans>
+  <bean class="com.baeldung.nullablebean.MainComponent" name="mainComponent">
+    <constructor-arg value="#{null}"/>
+  </bean>
+</beans>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable.properties b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..315f9b0d03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-di-4/src/test/resources/nullable.properties
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+nullableBean = null
\ No newline at end of file