diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageProducingHandler.java b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageProducingHandler.java
index 04e0fa26f30..e34b94f4918 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageProducingHandler.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractMessageProducingHandler.java
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public void setNotPropagatedHeaders(String... headers) {
 	private void updateNotPropagatedHeaders(String[] headers, boolean merge) {
 		Set<String> headerPatterns = new HashSet<>();
 
-		if (merge) {
+		if (merge && this.notPropagatedHeaders != null) {
 			headerPatterns.addAll(Arrays.asList(this.notPropagatedHeaders));
 		}
 
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ private void updateNotPropagatedHeaders(String[] headers, boolean merge) {
 			this.noHeadersPropagation = true;
 		}
 
-		this.selectiveHeaderPropagation = this.notPropagatedHeaders.length > 0;
+		this.selectiveHeaderPropagation = !ObjectUtils.isEmpty(this.notPropagatedHeaders);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandlerTests.java b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandlerTests.java
index 3c253c0346f..a268808d00b 100644
--- a/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandlerTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/handler/AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandlerTests.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
  * @author Gary Russell
  * @author Marius Bogoevici
  * @author Artem Bilan
+ * @author Oleg Zhurakousky
  */
 @RunWith(MockitoJUnitRunner.class)
 public class AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandlerTests {
@@ -109,6 +110,34 @@ protected Object handleRequestMessage(Message<?> requestMessage) {
 		assertThat(out.getHeaders().get("baz"), equalTo("BAZ"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+	public void testNotPropagateAddWhenNonExist() {
+		AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler handler = new AbstractReplyProducingMessageHandler() {
+
+			@Override
+			protected Object handleRequestMessage(Message<?> requestMessage) {
+				return new GenericMessage<>("world", Collections.singletonMap("bar", "RAB"));
+			}
+
+		};
+		handler.addNotPropagatedHeaders("boom");
+		assertThat(handler.getNotPropagatedHeaders(), containsInAnyOrder("boom"));
+		handler.setOutputChannel(this.channel);
+		ArgumentCaptor<Message<?>> captor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(Message.class);
+		willReturn(true).given(this.channel).send(captor.capture());
+		handler.handleMessage(MessageBuilder.withPayload("hello")
+				.setHeader("boom", "FOO")
+				.setHeader("bar", "BAR")
+				.setHeader("baz", "BAZ")
+				.build());
+		Message<?> out = captor.getValue();
+		assertThat(out, notNullValue());
+		assertThat(out.getHeaders().get("boom"), nullValue());
+		assertThat(out.getHeaders().get("bar"), equalTo("RAB"));
+		assertThat(out.getHeaders().get("baz"), equalTo("BAZ"));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	public void testNotPropagateAdd() {
@@ -116,7 +145,7 @@ public void testNotPropagateAdd() {
 
 			@Override
 			protected Object handleRequestMessage(Message<?> requestMessage) {
-				return new GenericMessage<String>("world", Collections.singletonMap("bar", "RAB"));
+				return new GenericMessage<>("world", Collections.singletonMap("bar", "RAB"));
 			}
 
 		};
@@ -125,14 +154,14 @@ protected Object handleRequestMessage(Message<?> requestMessage) {
 		handler.addNotPropagatedHeaders("b*r");
 		handler.setOutputChannel(this.channel);
 		assertThat(handler.getNotPropagatedHeaders(), containsInAnyOrder("foo", "b*r"));
-		ArgumentCaptor<Message<?>> captor =
-				(ArgumentCaptor<Message<?>>) (ArgumentCaptor<?>) ArgumentCaptor.forClass(Message.class);
+		ArgumentCaptor<Message<?>> captor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(Message.class);
 		willReturn(true).given(this.channel).send(captor.capture());
-		handler.handleMessage(MessageBuilder.withPayload("hello")
-				.setHeader("foo", "FOO")
-				.setHeader("bar", "BAR")
-				.setHeader("baz", "BAZ")
-				.build());
+		handler.handleMessage(
+				MessageBuilder.withPayload("hello")
+						.setHeader("foo", "FOO")
+						.setHeader("bar", "BAR")
+						.setHeader("baz", "BAZ")
+						.build());
 		Message<?> out = captor.getValue();
 		assertThat(out, notNullValue());
 		assertThat(out.getHeaders().get("foo"), nullValue());