diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java
index 41a53a5e3aad..0ef3a1bc0013 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethod.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2024 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2025 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -317,15 +317,19 @@ public HandlerMethod createWithValidateFlags() {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * If the provided instance contains a bean name rather than an object instance,
-	 * the bean name is resolved before a {@link HandlerMethod} is created and returned.
+	 * If the {@link #getBean() handler} is a bean name rather than the actual
+	 * handler instance, resolve the bean name through Spring configuration
+	 * (e.g. for prototype beans), and return a new {@link HandlerMethod}
+	 * instance with the resolved handler.
+	 * <p>If the {@link #getBean() handler} is not String, return the same instance.
 	 */
 	public HandlerMethod createWithResolvedBean() {
-		Object handler = this.bean;
-		if (this.bean instanceof String beanName) {
-			Assert.state(this.beanFactory != null, "Cannot resolve bean name without BeanFactory");
-			handler = this.beanFactory.getBean(beanName);
+		if (!(this.bean instanceof String beanName)) {
+			return this;
 		}
+
+		Assert.state(this.beanFactory != null, "Cannot resolve bean name without BeanFactory");
+		Object handler = this.beanFactory.getBean(beanName);
 		Assert.notNull(handler, "No handler instance");
 		return new HandlerMethod(this, handler, false);
 	}
diff --git a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethodTests.java b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethodTests.java
index 678b9587f658..660dfa06d6e2 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethodTests.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/method/HandlerMethodTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2024 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2025 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -72,6 +72,13 @@ void classLevelValidatedAnnotation() {
 		testValidateReturnValue(target, List.of("getPerson"), false);
 	}
 
+	@Test // gh-34277
+	void createWithResolvedBeanSameInstance() {
+		MyClass target = new MyClass();
+		HandlerMethod handlerMethod = getHandlerMethod(target, "addPerson");
+		assertThat(handlerMethod.createWithResolvedBean()).isSameAs(handlerMethod);
+	}
+
 	private static void testValidateArgs(Object target, List<String> methodNames, boolean expected) {
 		for (String methodName : methodNames) {
 			assertThat(getHandlerMethod(target, methodName).shouldValidateArguments()).isEqualTo(expected);