diff --git a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java
index c04d2289ab8..1a98854534e 100644
--- a/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java
+++ b/spring-beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java
@@ -814,10 +814,20 @@ public abstract class AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory extends AbstractBeanFac
 
 		// Common return type found: all factory methods return same type. For a non-parameterized
 		// unique candidate, cache the full type declaration context of the target factory method.
-		cachedReturnType = (uniqueCandidate != null ?
-				ResolvableType.forMethodReturnType(uniqueCandidate) : ResolvableType.forClass(commonType));
-		mbd.factoryMethodReturnType = cachedReturnType;
-		return cachedReturnType.resolve();
+		try {
+			cachedReturnType = (uniqueCandidate != null ?
+					ResolvableType.forMethodReturnType(uniqueCandidate) : ResolvableType.forClass(commonType));
+			mbd.factoryMethodReturnType = cachedReturnType;
+			return cachedReturnType.resolve();
+		}
+		catch (LinkageError err) {
+			// E.g. a NoClassDefFoundError for a generic method return type
+			if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+				logger.debug("Failed to resolve type for factory method of bean '" + beanName + "': " +
+						(uniqueCandidate != null ? uniqueCandidate : commonType), err);
+			}
+			return null;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**