diff --git a/src/class_linker.cc b/src/class_linker.cc
index cc44a9e..0f7ccad 100644
--- a/src/class_linker.cc
+++ b/src/class_linker.cc
@@ -2088,9 +2088,9 @@
   if (oat_file_class_status == Class::kStatusVerified || oat_file_class_status == Class::kStatusInitialized) {
     return true;
   }
-  if (oat_file_class_status == Class::kStatusError) {
-    // Compile time verification failed. Compile time verification can fail because we have
-    // incomplete type information. Consider the following:
+  if (oat_file_class_status == Class::kStatusResolved) {
+    // Compile time verification failed with a soft error. Compile time verification can fail
+    // because we have incomplete type information. Consider the following:
     // class ... {
     //   Foo x;
     //   .... () {
@@ -2108,6 +2108,11 @@
     // at compile time).
     return false;
   }
+  if (oat_file_class_status == Class::kStatusError) {
+    // Compile time verification failed with a hard error. This is caused by invalid instructions
+    // in the class. These errors are unrecoverable.
+    return false;
+  }
   if (oat_file_class_status == Class::kStatusNotReady) {
     // Status is uninitialized if we couldn't determine the status at compile time, for example,
     // not loading the class.
diff --git a/src/compiler.cc b/src/compiler.cc
index b56fd49..7d71278 100644
--- a/src/compiler.cc
+++ b/src/compiler.cc
@@ -1109,11 +1109,15 @@
     // ClassLinker::VerifyClass throws, which isn't useful in the compiler.
     CHECK(Thread::Current()->IsExceptionPending());
     Thread::Current()->ClearException();
-    // We want to try verification again at run-time, so move back into the resolved state.
-    klass->SetStatus(Class::kStatusResolved);
+    art::Compiler::ClassReference ref(context->GetDexFile(), class_def_index);
+    if (!verifier::DexVerifier::IsClassRejected(ref)) {
+      // If the erroneous class wasn't rejected by the verifier, it was a soft error. We want
+      // to try verification again at run-time, so move back into the resolved state.
+      klass->SetStatus(Class::kStatusResolved);
+    }
   }
 
-  CHECK(klass->IsVerified() || klass->IsResolved()) << PrettyClass(klass);
+  CHECK(klass->IsVerified() || klass->IsResolved() || klass->IsErroneous()) << PrettyClass(klass);
   CHECK(!Thread::Current()->IsExceptionPending()) << PrettyTypeOf(Thread::Current()->GetException());
 }
 
@@ -1143,7 +1147,10 @@
     const char* descriptor = dex_file.GetClassDescriptor(class_def);
     Class* klass = class_linker->FindClass(descriptor, class_loader);
     if (klass != NULL) {
-      class_linker->EnsureInitialized(klass, false);
+      if (klass->IsVerified()) {
+        // Only try to initialize classes that were successfully verified.
+        class_linker->EnsureInitialized(klass, false);
+      }
       // record the final class status if necessary
       Class::Status status = klass->GetStatus();
       ClassReference ref(&dex_file, class_def_index);