diff --git a/src/share/classes/java/io/ObjectStreamClass.java b/src/share/classes/java/io/ObjectStreamClass.java
index a002f9d94804925da58458e8fd21a847a3a2c9cc..64453b25a41149a3e65f838ea36a93740e2f9cda 100644
--- a/src/share/classes/java/io/ObjectStreamClass.java
+++ b/src/share/classes/java/io/ObjectStreamClass.java
@@ -1130,6 +1130,9 @@ public class ObjectStreamClass implements Serializable {
             } catch (IllegalAccessException ex) {
                 // should not occur, as access checks have been suppressed
                 throw new InternalError(ex);
+            } catch (InstantiationError err) {
+                throw (InstantiationException)
+                    new InstantiationException().initCause(err);
             }
         } else {
             throw new UnsupportedOperationException();