diff --git a/src/class_linker.cc b/src/class_linker.cc
index 1355cbf..b06d108 100644
--- a/src/class_linker.cc
+++ b/src/class_linker.cc
@@ -91,6 +91,14 @@
   Thread::Current()->ThrowNewException("Ljava/lang/NoSuchFieldError;", msg.str().c_str());
 }
 
+void ThrowNullPointerException(const char* fmt, ...) __attribute__((__format__(__printf__, 1, 2)));
+void ThrowNullPointerException(const char* fmt, ...) {
+  va_list args;
+  va_start(args, fmt);
+  Thread::Current()->ThrowNewExceptionV("Ljava/lang/NullPointerException;", fmt, args);
+  va_end(args);
+}
+
 void ThrowEarlierClassFailure(Class* c) {
   /*
    * The class failed to initialize on a previous attempt, so we want to throw
@@ -1152,7 +1160,13 @@
     }
     ScopedLocalRef<jobject> class_loader_object(env, AddLocalReference<jobject>(env, class_loader));
     ScopedLocalRef<jobject> result(env, env->CallObjectMethod(class_loader_object.get(), mid, class_name_object.get()));
-    if (!env->ExceptionOccurred()) {
+    if (result.get() == NULL) {
+      // broken loader - throw NPE to be compatible with Dalvik
+      ThrowNullPointerException("ClassLoader.loadClass returned null for %s",
+                                class_name_string.c_str());
+      return NULL;
+    } else if (!env->ExceptionOccurred()) {
+      // success, return Class*
       return Decode<Class*>(env, result.get());
     } else {
       env->ExceptionClear();  // Failed to find class fall-through to NCDFE
@@ -2299,9 +2313,7 @@
   CHECK_EQ(Class::kStatusIdx, klass->GetStatus());
   StringPiece descriptor(dex_file.StringByTypeIdx(klass->GetDexTypeIndex()));
   const DexFile::ClassDef* class_def = dex_file.FindClassDef(descriptor);
-  if (class_def == NULL) {
-    return false;
-  }
+  CHECK(class_def != NULL);
   uint16_t super_class_idx = class_def->superclass_idx_;
   if (super_class_idx != DexFile::kDexNoIndex16) {
     Class* super_class = ResolveType(dex_file, super_class_idx, klass.get());
@@ -2901,7 +2913,8 @@
       //       same name to be loaded simultaneously by different loaders
       dex_cache->SetResolvedType(type_idx, resolved);
     } else {
-      DCHECK(Thread::Current()->IsExceptionPending());
+      CHECK(Thread::Current()->IsExceptionPending())
+          << "Expected pending exception for failed resolution of: " << descriptor;
     }
   }
   return resolved;
diff --git a/src/dalvik_system_DexFile.cc b/src/dalvik_system_DexFile.cc
index 7fce25f..7680e0f 100644
--- a/src/dalvik_system_DexFile.cc
+++ b/src/dalvik_system_DexFile.cc
@@ -176,7 +176,26 @@
   class_linker->RegisterDexFile(*dex_file);
   Class* result = class_linker->DefineClass(descriptor, class_loader, *dex_file, *dex_class_def);
   if (env->ExceptionCheck()) {
+    // Remember exception and clear it
+    jthrowable exception = env->ExceptionOccurred();
     env->ExceptionClear();
+    // If we threw a "class not found" exception, stifle it, since the contract in the higher
+    // method says we simply return null if the class is not found.
+    static const char* ignored_exception_classes[2] = {
+        "java/lang/ClassNotFoundException",
+        "java/lang/NoClassDefFoundError"
+    };
+    bool clear_exception = false;
+    for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+      jclass exception_class = env->FindClass(ignored_exception_classes[i]);
+      if (env->IsInstanceOf(exception, exception_class)) {
+        clear_exception = true;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    if (!clear_exception) {
+      env->Throw(exception);
+    }
     return NULL;
   }
   return AddLocalReference<jclass>(env, result);
diff --git a/test/086-null-super/src/Main.java b/test/086-null-super/src/Main.java
index 6decb20..0b8b2f5 100644
--- a/test/086-null-super/src/Main.java
+++ b/test/086-null-super/src/Main.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
         private static final String CLASS_NAME =
                 "Main$BrokenDexLoader$Inaccessible";
 
-        private static final String DEX_FILE = "test.jar";
+        private static final String DEX_FILE = "/data/art-test/086-null-super.jar";
 
         public BrokenDexLoader(ClassLoader parent) {
             super(parent);
diff --git a/test/087-gc-after-link/src/Main.java b/test/087-gc-after-link/src/Main.java
index dc68f9f..12fa56a 100644
--- a/test/087-gc-after-link/src/Main.java
+++ b/test/087-gc-after-link/src/Main.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
         private static final String CLASS_NAME =
                 "Main$BrokenDexLoader$Inaccessible";
 
-        private static final String DEX_FILE = "test.jar";
+        private static final String DEX_FILE = "/data/art-test/087-gc-after-link.jar";
 
         public BrokenDexLoader(ClassLoader parent) {
             super(parent);