diff --git a/kerberos/kerberos-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/kerberos/client/KerberosRestTemplate.java b/kerberos/kerberos-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/kerberos/client/KerberosRestTemplate.java
index c73b6c19778..1b00277062e 100644
--- a/kerberos/kerberos-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/kerberos/client/KerberosRestTemplate.java
+++ b/kerberos/kerberos-client/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/kerberos/client/KerberosRestTemplate.java
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ private LoginContext buildLoginContext() throws LoginException {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	protected final <T> T doExecute(final URI url, final @Nullable String uriTemplate,
+	protected final <T> @Nullable T doExecute(final URI url, final @Nullable String uriTemplate,
 			final @Nullable HttpMethod method, final @Nullable RequestCallback requestCallback,
 			final @Nullable ResponseExtractor<T> responseExtractor) throws RestClientException {
 
@@ -238,10 +238,10 @@ protected final <T> T doExecute(final URI url, final @Nullable String uriTemplat
 			LoginContext lc = buildLoginContext();
 			lc.login();
 			Subject serviceSubject = lc.getSubject();
-			return Subject.doAs(serviceSubject, new PrivilegedAction<T>() {
+			return Subject.doAs(serviceSubject, new PrivilegedAction<@Nullable T>() {
 
 				@Override
-				public T run() {
+				public @Nullable T run() {
 					return KerberosRestTemplate.this.doExecuteSubject(url, uriTemplate, method, requestCallback,
 							responseExtractor);
 				}
@@ -256,14 +256,14 @@ public T run() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	private <T> T doExecuteSubject(URI url, @Nullable String uriTemplate, @Nullable HttpMethod method,
+	private <T> @Nullable T doExecuteSubject(URI url, @Nullable String uriTemplate, @Nullable HttpMethod method,
 			@Nullable RequestCallback requestCallback, @Nullable ResponseExtractor<T> responseExtractor)
 			throws RestClientException {
-		T result = super.doExecute(url, uriTemplate, method, requestCallback, responseExtractor);
-		if (result == null) {
-			throw new RestClientException("doExecute returned null");
-		}
-		return result;
+		// RestTemplate.doExecute() legitimately returns null, e.g. when there is
+		// no ResponseExtractor (delete(), put()) or when the extractor maps a
+		// response such as 204 No Content to null. Let the null pass through
+		// instead of failing a successful request.
+		return super.doExecute(url, uriTemplate, method, requestCallback, responseExtractor);
 	}
 
 	private static final class ClientLoginConfig extends Configuration {
diff --git a/kerberos/kerberos-client/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/kerberos/client/KerberosRestTemplateTests.java b/kerberos/kerberos-client/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/kerberos/client/KerberosRestTemplateTests.java
index a0b0103b55f..d52a3f65130 100644
--- a/kerberos/kerberos-client/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/kerberos/client/KerberosRestTemplateTests.java
+++ b/kerberos/kerberos-client/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/kerberos/client/KerberosRestTemplateTests.java
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ void throwsOriginalException() {
 			.isThrownBy(() -> this.restTemplate.getForObject(this.baseUrl + "/notfound", String.class));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void deleteWithNoContentSucceeds() {
+		// gh-19935: RestTemplate.doExecute() legitimately returns null for delete();
+		// a successful 204 must not surface as RestClientException.
+		this.restTemplate.delete(this.baseUrl + "/delete");
+	}
+
 	private void setUpClient() {
 		Map<String, Object> loginOptions = new HashMap<>();
 		loginOptions.put("refreshKrb5Config", "true");
@@ -136,6 +143,16 @@ else if (header.startsWith("Negotiate ")) {
 						return getRequest(request, helloWorldBytes, textContentType.toString());
 					}
 				}
+				if (request.getPath().equals("/delete")) {
+					String header = request.getHeader(HttpHeaders.AUTHORIZATION);
+					if (header == null) {
+						return new MockResponse().setResponseCode(401)
+							.addHeader(HttpHeaders.WWW_AUTHENTICATE, "Negotiate");
+					}
+					else if (header.startsWith("Negotiate ")) {
+						return new MockResponse().setResponseCode(204);
+					}
+				}
 				return new MockResponse().setResponseCode(404);
 			}
 			catch (Throwable ex) {