diff --git a/graphql-dgs/src/main/kotlin/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/DefaultInputObjectMapper.kt b/graphql-dgs/src/main/kotlin/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/DefaultInputObjectMapper.kt
index aca0518e4..3cc453255 100644
--- a/graphql-dgs/src/main/kotlin/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/DefaultInputObjectMapper.kt
+++ b/graphql-dgs/src/main/kotlin/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/DefaultInputObjectMapper.kt
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.convert.support.DefaultConversionService
 import org.springframework.util.CollectionUtils
 import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils
 import java.lang.reflect.Type
+import java.util.Optional
 import kotlin.reflect.KClass
 import kotlin.reflect.KParameter
 import kotlin.reflect.full.primaryConstructor
@@ -54,6 +55,10 @@ class DefaultInputObjectMapper(customInputObjectMapper: InputObjectMapper? = nul
         }
 
         override fun matches(sourceType: TypeDescriptor, targetType: TypeDescriptor): Boolean {
+            if (targetType.type == Optional::class.java) {
+                // Let Spring's ObjectToOptionalConverter handle it
+                return false
+            }
             if (sourceType.isMap) {
                 val keyDescriptor = sourceType.mapKeyTypeDescriptor
                 return keyDescriptor == null || keyDescriptor.type == String::class.java
diff --git a/graphql-dgs/src/test/java/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/java/test/inputobjects/JInputObjectWithOptional.java b/graphql-dgs/src/test/java/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/java/test/inputobjects/JInputObjectWithOptional.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0d509ca9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/graphql-dgs/src/test/java/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/java/test/inputobjects/JInputObjectWithOptional.java
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2024 Netflix, Inc.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.netflix.graphql.dgs.internal.java.test.inputobjects;
+
+import java.util.Optional;
+
+public class JInputObjectWithOptional {
+    private Optional<String> foo = Optional.empty();
+    private Optional<JInputObjectWithSet> bar = Optional.empty();
+
+    public JInputObjectWithOptional() {}
+
+    public Optional<String> getFoo() {
+        return foo;
+    }
+
+    public void setFoo(Optional<String> foo) {
+        this.foo = foo;
+    }
+
+    public Optional<JInputObjectWithSet> getBar() {
+        return bar;
+    }
+
+    public void setBar(Optional<JInputObjectWithSet> bar) {
+        this.bar = bar;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/graphql-dgs/src/test/kotlin/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/InputObjectMapperTest.kt b/graphql-dgs/src/test/kotlin/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/InputObjectMapperTest.kt
index 184cee970..3a2e2c4b5 100644
--- a/graphql-dgs/src/test/kotlin/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/InputObjectMapperTest.kt
+++ b/graphql-dgs/src/test/kotlin/com/netflix/graphql/dgs/internal/InputObjectMapperTest.kt
@@ -22,11 +22,14 @@ import com.netflix.graphql.dgs.internal.java.test.inputobjects.JGenericSubInputO
 import com.netflix.graphql.dgs.internal.java.test.inputobjects.JInputObject
 import com.netflix.graphql.dgs.internal.java.test.inputobjects.JInputObjectWithKotlinProperty
 import com.netflix.graphql.dgs.internal.java.test.inputobjects.JInputObjectWithMap
+import com.netflix.graphql.dgs.internal.java.test.inputobjects.JInputObjectWithOptional
 import com.netflix.graphql.dgs.internal.java.test.inputobjects.JInputObjectWithSet
+import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.COLLECTION
 import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat
 import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test
 import java.time.LocalDateTime
+import java.util.Optional
 import kotlin.reflect.KClass
 
 internal class InputObjectMapperTest {
@@ -247,6 +250,28 @@ internal class InputObjectMapperTest {
         assertThat(result.items).isEqualTo(setOf(1, 2, 3, 4))
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `mapping to an object with Optional fields works`() {
+        var result = inputObjectMapper.mapToKotlinObject(mapOf<String, Any?>("foo" to null, "bar" to mapOf("subkey1" to "subkey1-value")), InputWithOptional::class)
+        assertThat(result.foo).isNotPresent
+        assertThat(result.bar).get().isEqualTo(KotlinSubObject("subkey1-value"))
+
+        result = inputObjectMapper.mapToKotlinObject(mapOf<String, Any?>("foo" to "foo-value", "bar" to null), InputWithOptional::class)
+        assertThat(result.foo).get().isEqualTo("foo-value")
+        assertThat(result.bar).isNotPresent
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `mapping to a Java object with Optional fields works`() {
+        var result = inputObjectMapper.mapToJavaObject(mapOf<String, Any?>("foo" to null, "bar" to mapOf("items" to listOf(1, 2, 3, 4))), JInputObjectWithOptional::class.java)
+        assertThat(result.foo).isNotPresent
+        assertThat(result.bar).get().extracting("items").asInstanceOf(COLLECTION).containsExactly(1, 2, 3, 4)
+
+        result = inputObjectMapper.mapToJavaObject(mapOf<String, Any?>("foo" to "foo-value", "bar" to null), JInputObjectWithOptional::class.java)
+        assertThat(result.foo).get().isEqualTo("foo-value")
+        assertThat(result.bar).isNotPresent
+    }
+
     data class KotlinInputObject(val simpleString: String?, val someDate: LocalDateTime, val someObject: KotlinSomeObject)
     data class KotlinNestedInputObject(val input: KotlinInputObject)
     data class KotlinDoubleNestedInputObject(val inputL1: KotlinNestedInputObject)
@@ -259,4 +284,6 @@ internal class InputObjectMapperTest {
 
     enum class FieldType { FOO, BAR, BAZ }
     data class KotlinObjectWithEnumField(val name: String, val type: FieldType)
+
+    data class InputWithOptional(val foo: Optional<String>, val bar: Optional<KotlinSubObject>)
 }