diff --git a/src/main/java/spoon/reflect/factory/TypeFactory.java b/src/main/java/spoon/reflect/factory/TypeFactory.java
index d0e1e0ae016..189591cc8ec 100644
--- a/src/main/java/spoon/reflect/factory/TypeFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/spoon/reflect/factory/TypeFactory.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 import spoon.reflect.visitor.CtScanner;
 import spoon.reflect.visitor.filter.TypeFilter;
 import spoon.support.DefaultCoreFactory;
+import spoon.support.SpoonClassNotFoundException;
 import spoon.support.StandardEnvironment;
 import spoon.support.visitor.java.JavaReflectionTreeBuilder;
 
@@ -473,7 +474,12 @@ public <T> CtType<T> get(Class<?> cl) {
 		if (aType == null) {
 			final CtType<T> shadowClass = (CtType<T>) this.shadowCache.get(cl);
 			if (shadowClass == null) {
-				final CtType<T> newShadowClass = new JavaReflectionTreeBuilder(createFactory()).scan((Class<T>) cl);
+				CtType<T> newShadowClass;
+				try {
+					newShadowClass = new JavaReflectionTreeBuilder(createFactory()).scan((Class<T>) cl);
+				} catch (Throwable e) {
+					throw new SpoonClassNotFoundException("cannot create shadow class: " + cl.getName(), e);
+				}
 				newShadowClass.setFactory(factory);
 				newShadowClass.accept(new CtScanner() {
 					@Override