diff --git a/repl/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/repl/ExecutorClassLoader.scala b/repl/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/repl/ExecutorClassLoader.scala
index 4a15d52b570a4..2f07395edf8d1 100644
--- a/repl/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/repl/ExecutorClassLoader.scala
+++ b/repl/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/repl/ExecutorClassLoader.scala
@@ -79,13 +79,7 @@ class ExecutorClassLoader(
         case e: ClassNotFoundException =>
           val classOption = findClassLocally(name)
           classOption match {
-            case None =>
-              // If this class has a cause, it will break the internal assumption of Janino
-              // (the compiler used for Spark SQL code-gen).
-              // See org.codehaus.janino.ClassLoaderIClassLoader's findIClass, you will see
-              // its behavior will be changed if there is a cause and the compilation
-              // of generated class will fail.
-              throw new ClassNotFoundException(name)
+            case None => throw new ClassNotFoundException(name, e)
             case Some(a) => a
           }
       }
diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/codegen/CodeGenerator.scala b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/codegen/CodeGenerator.scala
index 2706c38d9e0a1..86883d7593412 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/codegen/CodeGenerator.scala
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/expressions/codegen/CodeGenerator.scala
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ package org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.expressions.codegen
 
 import scala.collection.mutable
 import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer
-import scala.language.existentials
 
 import com.google.common.cache.{CacheBuilder, CacheLoader}
 import org.codehaus.janino.ClassBodyEvaluator
+import scala.language.existentials
 
 import org.apache.spark.internal.Logging
 import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.InternalRow
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.util.{ArrayData, MapData}
 import org.apache.spark.sql.types._
 import org.apache.spark.unsafe.Platform
 import org.apache.spark.unsafe.types._
-import org.apache.spark.util.Utils
+import org.apache.spark.util.{ParentClassLoader, Utils}
 
 /**
  * Java source for evaluating an [[Expression]] given a [[InternalRow]] of input.
@@ -806,7 +806,17 @@ object CodeGenerator extends Logging {
    */
   private[this] def doCompile(code: CodeAndComment): GeneratedClass = {
     val evaluator = new ClassBodyEvaluator()
-    evaluator.setParentClassLoader(Utils.getContextOrSparkClassLoader)
+
+    // A special classloader used to wrap the actual parent classloader of
+    // [[org.codehaus.janino.ClassBodyEvaluator]] (see CodeGenerator.doCompile). This classloader
+    // does not throw a ClassNotFoundException with a cause set (i.e. exception.getCause returns
+    // a null). This classloader is needed because janino will throw the exception directly if
+    // the parent classloader throws a ClassNotFoundException with cause set instead of trying to
+    // find other possible classes (see org.codehaus.janinoClassLoaderIClassLoader's
+    // findIClass method). Please also see https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/SPARK-15622 and
+    // https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/SPARK-11636.
+    val parentClassLoader = new ParentClassLoader(Utils.getContextOrSparkClassLoader)
+    evaluator.setParentClassLoader(parentClassLoader)
     // Cannot be under package codegen, or fail with java.lang.InstantiationException
     evaluator.setClassName("org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.expressions.GeneratedClass")
     evaluator.setDefaultImports(Array(