diff --git a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/conf/QueryCompilationCacheValue.java b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/conf/QueryCompilationCacheValue.java
index bbaebdd82..093a81065 100644
--- a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/conf/QueryCompilationCacheValue.java
+++ b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/conf/QueryCompilationCacheValue.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import org.apache.openjpa.lib.conf.Configuration;
 import org.apache.openjpa.lib.conf.PluginValue;
 import org.apache.openjpa.lib.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
 import org.apache.openjpa.lib.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
+import org.apache.openjpa.lib.util.ParseException;
 import org.apache.openjpa.util.CacheMap;
 
 /**
@@ -58,6 +59,18 @@ public class QueryCompilationCacheValue
         
         try {
             map = (Map) super.newInstance(clsName, type, conf, fatal);
+        } catch (ParseException pe) {
+            // OPENJPA256: this class differs from most plugins in that
+            // the plugin type is the standard java interface Map.class (rather
+            // than an openjpa-specific interface), which means that the
+            // ClassLoader used to load the implementation will be the system
+            // class loader; this presents a problem if OpenJPA is not in the
+            // system classpath, so work around the problem by catching
+            // the ParseException (which is what we wrap the
+            // ClassNotFoundException in) and try again, this time using
+            // this class' ClassLoader.
+            map = (Map) super.newInstance(clsName,
+                QueryCompilationCacheValue.class, conf, fatal);
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
             // OPENJPA256: this class differs from most plugins in that
             // the plugin type is the standard java interface Map.class (rather
diff --git a/openjpa-project/CHANGES.txt b/openjpa-project/CHANGES.txt
index 3a6a28f68..de76446c3 100644
--- a/openjpa-project/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/openjpa-project/CHANGES.txt
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ Bugs fixed
        * [OPENJPA-321] - DB2 ABS Casting problem
        * [OPENJPA-322] - Timezone on the Calendar object lost in proxying
        * [OPENJPA-323] - Cleanup some message text
+       * [OPENJPA-256] - java.lang.ClassNotFoundException:
+         org.apache.openjpa.util.CacheMap in a jetty spring environment
 
 Sub-task
 
diff --git a/openjpa-project/RELEASE-NOTES.html b/openjpa-project/RELEASE-NOTES.html
index 325344f94..a8e8bcbd4 100644
--- a/openjpa-project/RELEASE-NOTES.html
+++ b/openjpa-project/RELEASE-NOTES.html
@@ -275,6 +275,8 @@ Additional testing done for release 0.9.7
 </li>
 <li>[<a href='http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/OPENJPA-323'>OPENJPA-323</a>] - Cleanup some message text
 </li>
+<li>[<a href='http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/OPENJPA-256'>OPENJPA-256</a>] - java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.apache.openjpa.util.CacheMap in a jetty spring environment
+</li>
 </ul>
 
 <h2> Sub-task