diff --git a/jetty-webapp/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/webapp/WebAppClassLoader.java b/jetty-webapp/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/webapp/WebAppClassLoader.java
index 967b9e5feaa..e043e6fb797 100644
--- a/jetty-webapp/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/webapp/WebAppClassLoader.java
+++ b/jetty-webapp/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/webapp/WebAppClassLoader.java
@@ -498,7 +498,9 @@ public class WebAppClassLoader extends URLClassLoader implements ClassVisibility
                 // Try the parent loader
                 try
                 {
-                    parent_class = _parent.loadClass(name); 
+                    parent_class = _parent.loadClass(name);
+                    if (parent_class == null)
+                        throw new ClassNotFoundException("Bad ClassLoader: returned null for loadClass(" + name + ")");
 
                     // If the webapp is allowed to see this class
                     if (Boolean.TRUE.equals(__loadServerClasses.get()) || !_context.isServerClass(parent_class))