diff --git a/src/main/java/spoon/reflect/declaration/CtType.java b/src/main/java/spoon/reflect/declaration/CtType.java
index 9d80aec0b68..6018c297c19 100644
--- a/src/main/java/spoon/reflect/declaration/CtType.java
+++ b/src/main/java/spoon/reflect/declaration/CtType.java
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ public interface CtType<T> extends CtNamedElement, CtTypeInformation, CtTypeMemb
 	 * The string separator in a Java innertype qualified name.
 	 */
 	String INNERTTYPE_SEPARATOR = "$";
+	/**
+	 * Used in no classpath when we don't have any information to build the name of the type.
+	 */
+	String NAME_UNKNOWN = "<unknown>";
 
 	/**
 	 * Returns the simple (unqualified) name of this element.
diff --git a/src/main/java/spoon/support/compiler/jdt/JDTTreeBuilder.java b/src/main/java/spoon/support/compiler/jdt/JDTTreeBuilder.java
index 83c06cd0d5b..efdfa1a6c63 100644
--- a/src/main/java/spoon/support/compiler/jdt/JDTTreeBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/spoon/support/compiler/jdt/JDTTreeBuilder.java
@@ -3379,6 +3379,7 @@ public boolean visit(TypeDeclaration localTypeDeclaration, BlockScope scope) {
 		if (localTypeDeclaration.binding == null) {
 			// no classpath mode but JDT returns nothing. We create an empty class.
 			t = factory.Core().createClass();
+			t.setSimpleName(CtType.NAME_UNKNOWN);
 			((CtClass) t).setSuperclass(references.getTypeReference(null, localTypeDeclaration.allocation.type));
 		} else {
 			t = createType(localTypeDeclaration);
diff --git a/src/test/java/spoon/test/constructorcallnewclass/NewClassTest.java b/src/test/java/spoon/test/constructorcallnewclass/NewClassTest.java
index 2cd23dc9604..89f67012999 100644
--- a/src/test/java/spoon/test/constructorcallnewclass/NewClassTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/spoon/test/constructorcallnewclass/NewClassTest.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import spoon.reflect.code.CtExpression;
 import spoon.reflect.code.CtNewClass;
 import spoon.reflect.declaration.CtClass;
+import spoon.reflect.declaration.CtType;
 import spoon.reflect.factory.Factory;
 import spoon.reflect.reference.CtExecutableReference;
 import spoon.reflect.reference.CtTypeReference;
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ public void testCtNewClassInNoClasspath() throws Exception {
 		assertEquals("Lock$With", anonymousClass.getSuperclass().getQualifiedName());
 		assertEquals("Lock", anonymousClass.getSuperclass().getDeclaringType().getSimpleName());
 		assertEquals("Lock.With", anonymousClass.getSuperclass().toString());
-		assertNull(anonymousClass.getSimpleName()); // In noclasspath, we don't have this information.
+		assertEquals(CtType.NAME_UNKNOWN, anonymousClass.getSimpleName()); // In noclasspath, we don't have this information.
 		assertEquals(1, anonymousClass.getMethods().size());
 
 		TestUtils.canBeBuilt("./target/new-class", 8, true);
diff --git a/src/test/java/spoon/test/reference/TypeReferenceTest.java b/src/test/java/spoon/test/reference/TypeReferenceTest.java
index 2dbfa094cbb..120e9824796 100644
--- a/src/test/java/spoon/test/reference/TypeReferenceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/spoon/test/reference/TypeReferenceTest.java
@@ -412,6 +412,21 @@ public void testAnnotationOnMethodWithPrimitiveReturnTypeInNoClasspath() throws
 		assertEquals("@Override" + System.lineSeparator(), run.getAnnotations().get(0).toString());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testAnonymousClassesHaveAnEmptyStringForItsNameInNoClasspath() throws Exception {
+		// contract: In no classpath mode, a type reference have an empty string for its name.
+		final Launcher launcher = new Launcher();
+		launcher.addInputResource("./src/test/resources/noclasspath/A.java");
+		launcher.setSourceOutputDirectory("./target/class-declaration");
+		launcher.getEnvironment().setNoClasspath(true);
+		launcher.run();
+
+		final CtClass<Object> aClass = launcher.getFactory().Class().get("A");
+		final CtClass anonymousClass = aClass.getElements(new TypeFilter<>(CtNewClass.class)).get(0).getAnonymousClass();
+		assertEquals(CtType.NAME_UNKNOWN, anonymousClass.getReference().getSimpleName());
+		assertEquals(7, aClass.getReferencedTypes().size());
+	}
+
 	class A {
 		class Tacos<K> {
 		}