diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 182be5ea1c3d..05a0177509d5 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ buildscript {
 		}
 	}
 	dependencies {
+		classpath("org.asciidoctor:asciidoctorj-groovy-dsl:1.0.0.preview2")
+		classpath("org.asciidoctor:asciidoctorj:1.5.2")
 		classpath("io.spring.gradle:propdeps-plugin:0.0.10-TT.1")
 		classpath("io.spring.gradle:docbook-reference-plugin:0.3.2")
 		classpath("org.asciidoctor:asciidoctor-gradle-plugin:1.5.2")
@@ -141,6 +143,13 @@ configure(allprojects) { project ->
 	repositories {
 		mavenCentral()
 		maven { url "https://repo.spring.io/libs-spring-framework-build" }
+		maven { url "https://repository.tomitribe.com/content/groups/tomitribe/"
+			credentials {
+				username project.repoUser
+				password project.repoPassword
+			}
+		}
+
 	}
 
 	dependencies {
diff --git a/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/ConstructorReference.java b/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/ConstructorReference.java
index 5b992184fe3e..d890d96c9cfa 100644
--- a/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/ConstructorReference.java
+++ b/spring-expression/src/main/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ast/ConstructorReference.java
@@ -242,6 +242,13 @@ private TypedValue createArray(ExpressionState state) throws EvaluationException
 					FormatHelper.formatClassNameForMessage(intendedArrayType.getClass()));
 		}
 		String type = (String) intendedArrayType;
+
+		if (state.getEvaluationContext().getConstructorResolvers().isEmpty()) {
+			// No constructor resolver -> no array construction either (as of 5.3.38)
+			throw new SpelEvaluationException(getStartPosition(), SpelMessage.CONSTRUCTOR_NOT_FOUND,
+					type + "[]", "[]");
+		}
+
 		Class<?> componentType;
 		TypeCode arrayTypeCode = TypeCode.forName(type);
 		if (arrayTypeCode == TypeCode.OBJECT) {
diff --git a/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ArrayConstructorTests.java b/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ArrayConstructorTests.java
index 255f485961f0..aea0133ddea9 100644
--- a/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ArrayConstructorTests.java
+++ b/spring-expression/src/test/java/org/springframework/expression/spel/ArrayConstructorTests.java
@@ -18,8 +18,10 @@
 
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import org.springframework.expression.EvaluationContext;
 import org.springframework.expression.Expression;
 import org.springframework.expression.spel.standard.SpelExpressionParser;
+import org.springframework.expression.spel.support.SimpleEvaluationContext;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
@@ -106,6 +108,18 @@ public void multiDimensionalArray() {
 			String[][][].class);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void noArrayConstruction() {
+		EvaluationContext context = SimpleEvaluationContext.forReadWriteDataBinding().build();
+
+		try{
+			parser.parseExpression("new int[2]").getValue(context);
+		}
+		catch(Exception e){
+			assertTrue(e instanceof SpelEvaluationException);
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void constructorInvocation03() {
 		evaluateAndCheckError("new String[]", SpelMessage.MISSING_ARRAY_DIMENSION);