diff --git a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockCookie.java b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockCookie.java
index b0dab61bf8e5..e9c50bb3d9f5 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockCookie.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockCookie.java
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public boolean isPartitioned() {
 	 * @return the created cookie
 	 */
 	public static MockCookie parse(String setCookieHeader) {
-		Assert.notNull(setCookieHeader, "Set-Cookie header must not be null");
+		Assert.hasText(setCookieHeader, "Set-Cookie header must not be null or empty");
 		String[] cookieParts = setCookieHeader.split("\\s*=\\s*", 2);
 		Assert.isTrue(cookieParts.length == 2, () -> "Invalid Set-Cookie header '" + setCookieHeader + "'");
 
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockCookieTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockCookieTests.java
index 461942b75e68..749f12192e60 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockCookieTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/mock/web/MockCookieTests.java
@@ -118,7 +118,15 @@ private void assertCookie(MockCookie cookie, String name, String value) {
 	void parseNullHeader() {
 		assertThatIllegalArgumentException()
 			.isThrownBy(() -> MockCookie.parse(null))
-			.withMessageContaining("Set-Cookie header must not be null");
+			.withMessageContaining("Set-Cookie header must not be null or empty");
+	}
+
+	@ParameterizedTest
+	@ValueSource(strings = {"", "  "})
+	void parseEmptyHeader(String header) {
+		assertThatIllegalArgumentException()
+			.isThrownBy(() -> MockCookie.parse(header))
+			.withMessageContaining("Set-Cookie header must not be null or empty");
 	}
 
 	@Test
diff --git a/spring-web/src/testFixtures/java/org/springframework/web/testfixture/servlet/MockCookie.java b/spring-web/src/testFixtures/java/org/springframework/web/testfixture/servlet/MockCookie.java
index d33e9ff11a90..43c7ed8055ba 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/testFixtures/java/org/springframework/web/testfixture/servlet/MockCookie.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/testFixtures/java/org/springframework/web/testfixture/servlet/MockCookie.java
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public boolean isPartitioned() {
 	 * @return the created cookie
 	 */
 	public static MockCookie parse(String setCookieHeader) {
-		Assert.notNull(setCookieHeader, "Set-Cookie header must not be null");
+		Assert.hasText(setCookieHeader, "Set-Cookie header must not be null or empty");
 		String[] cookieParts = setCookieHeader.split("\\s*=\\s*", 2);
 		Assert.isTrue(cookieParts.length == 2, () -> "Invalid Set-Cookie header '" + setCookieHeader + "'");