The following code @WebMethod(operationName = "echoOperation") @WebResult(name = "echoResult") public String echo(@WebParam(name = "map") Map<String, ?> map) { return "test passed"; } throws ClassCastException. 12:37:28,828 [ERROR] [org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader] - Context initialization failed org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'handlerMappingForWebServices' defined in ServletContext resource [/WEB-INF/applicationContext-webServices.xml]: Initialization of bean failed; nested exception is org.codehaus.xfire.XFireRuntimeException: Couldn't load provider.. Nested exception is java.lang.ClassCastException: sun.reflect.generics.reflectiveObjects.ParameterizedTypeImpl org.codehaus.xfire.XFireRuntimeException: Couldn't load provider.. Nested exception is java.lang.ClassCastException: sun.reflect.generics.reflectiveObjects.ParameterizedTypeImpl java.lang.ClassCastException: sun.reflect.generics.reflectiveObjects.ParameterizedTypeImpl at org.codehaus.xfire.aegis.type.AbstractTypeCreator.createMapType(AbstractTypeCreator.java:135) at org.codehaus.xfire.aegis.type.AbstractTypeCreator.createTypeForClass(AbstractTypeCreator.java:67) at org.codehaus.xfire.aegis.type.AbstractTypeCreator.createType(AbstractTypeCreator.java:207) at org.codehaus.xfire.aegis.AegisBindingProvider.getParameterType(AegisBindingProvider.java:184) at org.codehaus.xfire.aegis.AegisBindingProvider.initializeMessage(AegisBindingProvider.java:128) at org.codehaus.xfire.aegis.AegisBindingProvider.initialize(AegisBindingProvider.java:96) at org.codehaus.xfire.service.binding.ObjectServiceFactory.create(ObjectServiceFactory.java:243) at org.codehaus.xfire.annotations.AnnotationServiceFactory.create(AnnotationServiceFactory.java:117) at org.codehaus.xfire.service.binding.ObjectServiceFactory.create(ObjectServiceFactory.java:150) at org.codehaus.xfire.spring.remoting.Jsr181HandlerMapping.initApplicationContext(Jsr181HandlerMapping.java:66) Not quietly sure, but the problem seem to be in the following: org.codehaus.xfire.aegis.type.AbstractTypeCreator protected Type createMapType(TypeClassInfo info) { //... MapType type = new MapType(schemaType, (Class) info.getKeyType(), (Class) info.getGenericType()); //... } (Class) info.getGenericType() is the reason of bad class cast Sorry, can't figure out the real reason.