diff --git a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/DefaultRequest.java b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/DefaultRequest.java
index 42714bc5de..6ae47f7a50 100644
--- a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/DefaultRequest.java
+++ b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/DefaultRequest.java
@@ -86,11 +86,6 @@ class DefaultRequest implements Request {
 		return this.exchange.getAttribute(name);
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	public Map<String, Object> attributes() {
-		return this.exchange.getAttributes();
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	public List<String> queryParams(String name) {
 		List<String> queryParams = request().getQueryParams().get(name);
@@ -107,6 +102,10 @@ class DefaultRequest implements Request {
 		return this.exchange.getRequest();
 	}
 
+	ServerWebExchange exchange() {
+		return this.exchange;
+	}
+
 
 
 	private class DefaultHeaders implements Headers {
diff --git a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/Request.java b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/Request.java
index d05f581f3a..9ca0b1d7af 100644
--- a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/Request.java
+++ b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/Request.java
@@ -77,11 +77,6 @@ public interface Request {
 	 */
 	<T> Optional<T> attribute(String name);
 
-	/**
-	 * Return a mutable map of attributes for this request.
-	 */
-	Map<String, Object> attributes();
-
 	/**
 	 * Return the first query parameter with the given name, if present.
 	 * @param name the parameter name
@@ -168,7 +163,7 @@ public interface Request {
 		List<String> header(String headerName);
 
 		/**
-		 * Return the headers as a "live" {@link HttpHeaders} instance.
+		 * Return the headers as a {@link HttpHeaders} instance.
 		 */
 		HttpHeaders asHttpHeaders();
 
diff --git a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/RequestPredicates.java b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/RequestPredicates.java
index 796412dd58..aa4033a487 100644
--- a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/RequestPredicates.java
+++ b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/RequestPredicates.java
@@ -246,8 +246,11 @@ public abstract class RequestPredicates {
 		public boolean test(Request request) {
 			String path = request.path();
 			if (this.pathMatcher.match(this.pattern, path)) {
-				Map<String, String> uriTemplateVariables = this.pathMatcher.extractUriTemplateVariables(this.pattern, path);
-				request.attributes().put(Router.URI_TEMPLATE_VARIABLES_ATTRIBUTE, uriTemplateVariables);
+				if (request instanceof DefaultRequest) {
+					DefaultRequest defaultRequest = (DefaultRequest) request;
+					Map<String, String> uriTemplateVariables = this.pathMatcher.extractUriTemplateVariables(this.pattern, path);
+					defaultRequest.exchange().getAttributes().put(Router.URI_TEMPLATE_VARIABLES_ATTRIBUTE, uriTemplateVariables);
+				}
 				return true;
 			}
 			else {
diff --git a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/support/RequestWrapper.java b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/support/RequestWrapper.java
index a4c83611fc..5c9439b30d 100644
--- a/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/support/RequestWrapper.java
+++ b/spring-web-reactive/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/support/RequestWrapper.java
@@ -95,11 +95,6 @@ public class RequestWrapper implements Request {
 		return this.request.attribute(name);
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	public Map<String, Object> attributes() {
-		return this.request.attributes();
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	public Optional<String> queryParam(String name) {
 		return this.request.queryParam(name);
diff --git a/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/DefaultRequestTests.java b/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/DefaultRequestTests.java
index 0c7957b850..394eb03049 100644
--- a/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/DefaultRequestTests.java
+++ b/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/DefaultRequestTests.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
@@ -94,11 +93,10 @@ public class DefaultRequestTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void attributes() throws Exception {
-		Map<String, Object> attributes = new LinkedHashMap<>();
-		when(mockExchange.getAttributes()).thenReturn(attributes);
+	public void attribute() throws Exception {
+		when(mockExchange.getAttribute("foo")).thenReturn(Optional.of("bar"));
 
-		assertEquals(attributes, defaultRequest.attributes());
+		assertEquals(Optional.of("bar"), defaultRequest.attribute("foo"));
 	}
 
 	@Test
diff --git a/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/MockRequest.java b/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/MockRequest.java
index 61b5b100fd..3c6cd171dc 100644
--- a/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/MockRequest.java
+++ b/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/MockRequest.java
@@ -103,11 +103,6 @@ public class MockRequest implements Request {
 		return Optional.ofNullable((T) this.attributes.get(name));
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	public Map<String, Object> attributes() {
-		return this.attributes;
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	public List<String> queryParams(String name) {
 		return Collections.unmodifiableList(this.queryParams.get(name));
diff --git a/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/RequestWrapperTests.java b/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/RequestWrapperTests.java
index 748ab1bc26..0d620e44bd 100644
--- a/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/RequestWrapperTests.java
+++ b/spring-web-reactive/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/RequestWrapperTests.java
@@ -102,14 +102,6 @@ public class RequestWrapperTests {
 		assertEquals(Optional.of(value), wrapper.attribute(name));
 	}
 
-	@Test
-	public void attributes() throws Exception {
-		Map<String, Object> attributes = Collections.singletonMap("foo", "bar");
-		when(mockRequest.attributes()).thenReturn(attributes);
-
-		assertSame(attributes, wrapper.attributes());
-	}
-
 	@Test
 	public void queryParam() throws Exception {
 		String name = "foo";