diff --git a/core-common/src/main/java/org/glassfish/jersey/message/internal/HeaderUtils.java b/core-common/src/main/java/org/glassfish/jersey/message/internal/HeaderUtils.java
index c8636ce..3c6cfdd 100644
--- a/core-common/src/main/java/org/glassfish/jersey/message/internal/HeaderUtils.java
+++ b/core-common/src/main/java/org/glassfish/jersey/message/internal/HeaderUtils.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2010, 2020 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2010, 2021 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
  * terms of the Eclipse Public License v. 2.0, which is available at
@@ -303,28 +303,19 @@
     /**
      * Compare two NewCookies having the same name. See documentation RFC.
      *
-     * @param first    NewCookie to be compared.
-     * @param second NewCookie to be compared.
+     * @param first     NewCookie to be compared.
+     * @param second    NewCookie to be compared.
      * @return the preferred NewCookie according to rules :
      *              - the latest maxAge.
-     *              - if equal, compare the expiry date
-     *              - if equal, compare name length
+     *              - if equal, compare the expiry date.
+     *              - if equal, compare path length.
      */
     public static NewCookie getPreferredCookie(NewCookie first, NewCookie second) {
-
-        if (first == null) {
-            return second;
-        } else if (second == null) {
-            return first;
-        }
-
-        if (first.getMaxAge() != second.getMaxAge()){
-            return Comparator.comparing(NewCookie::getMaxAge).compare(first, second) > 0 ? first : second;
-        } else if (first.getExpiry() != null && second.getExpiry() != null && !first.getExpiry().equals(second.getExpiry())) {
-            return Comparator.comparing(NewCookie::getExpiry).compare(first, second) > 0 ? first : second;
-        } else {
-            return first.getPath().length() > second.getPath().length() ? first : second;
-        }
+        return Comparator.nullsFirst(
+                Comparator.comparingInt(NewCookie::getMaxAge)
+                        .thenComparing(NewCookie::getExpiry, Comparator.nullsLast(Comparator.naturalOrder()))
+                        .thenComparing(NewCookie::getPath, Comparator.nullsLast(Comparator.comparing(String::length))))
+                .compare(first, second) > 0 ? first : second;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/e2e-core-common/src/test/java/org/glassfish/jersey/tests/e2e/common/message/internal/HeaderUtilsTest.java b/tests/e2e-core-common/src/test/java/org/glassfish/jersey/tests/e2e/common/message/internal/HeaderUtilsTest.java
index 589a671..bc370e4 100644
--- a/tests/e2e-core-common/src/test/java/org/glassfish/jersey/tests/e2e/common/message/internal/HeaderUtilsTest.java
+++ b/tests/e2e-core-common/src/test/java/org/glassfish/jersey/tests/e2e/common/message/internal/HeaderUtilsTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2013, 2020 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013, 2021 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
  * terms of the Eclipse Public License v. 2.0, which is available at
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void testgetPreferredCookie(){
+    public void testGetPreferredCookie(){
 
         Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
         calendar.set(2000, Calendar.JANUARY, 1);
@@ -227,4 +227,18 @@
 
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testGetPreferredCookieWithNullPath() {
+        NewCookie first = new NewCookie("NAME", "VALUE");
+        NewCookie second = new NewCookie("NAME", "VALUE");
+        NewCookie returnedCookie = HeaderUtils.getPreferredCookie(first, second);
+
+        assertEquals(first, returnedCookie);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testGetPreferredCookieWithNullInput() {
+        assertNull(HeaderUtils.getPreferredCookie(null, null));
+    }
+
 }