diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java
index 05afe9e368d..5393f6849f0 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationUtils.java
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ public abstract class AnnotationUtils {
 	/**
 	 * Get all {@link Annotation Annotations} from the supplied Method, Constructor or Field.
 	 * @param annotatedElement the Method, Constructor or Field to retrieve annotations from
-	 * @return the annotations found
+	 * @return the annotations found, or {@code null} if not resolvable (e.g. because nested
+	 * Class values in annotation attributes failed to resolve at runtime)
 	 * @since 4.0.8
 	 */
 	public static Annotation[] getAnnotations(AnnotatedElement annotatedElement) {
diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/type/classreading/AnnotationAttributesReadingVisitor.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/type/classreading/AnnotationAttributesReadingVisitor.java
index 4af65e9cf9e..6937e811e48 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/type/classreading/AnnotationAttributesReadingVisitor.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/type/classreading/AnnotationAttributesReadingVisitor.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import java.util.Set;
 import org.springframework.core.annotation.AnnotationAttributes;
 import org.springframework.core.annotation.AnnotationUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.MultiValueMap;
+import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
 
 /**
  * ASM visitor which looks for the annotations defined on a class or method, including
@@ -72,9 +73,12 @@ final class AnnotationAttributesReadingVisitor extends RecursiveAnnotationAttrib
 			attributes.add(0, this.attributes);
 		}
 		Set<String> metaAnnotationTypeNames = new LinkedHashSet<String>();
-		for (Annotation metaAnnotation : AnnotationUtils.getAnnotations(annotationClass)) {
-			if (!AnnotationUtils.isInJavaLangAnnotationPackage(metaAnnotation)) {
-				recursivelyCollectMetaAnnotations(metaAnnotationTypeNames, metaAnnotation);
+		Annotation[] metaAnnotations = AnnotationUtils.getAnnotations(annotationClass);
+		if (!ObjectUtils.isEmpty(metaAnnotations)) {
+			for (Annotation metaAnnotation : metaAnnotations) {
+				if (!AnnotationUtils.isInJavaLangAnnotationPackage(metaAnnotation)) {
+					recursivelyCollectMetaAnnotations(metaAnnotationTypeNames, metaAnnotation);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		if (this.metaAnnotationMap != null) {