diff --git a/extensions/hibernate-validator/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/validator/test/ClassHierarchyTest.java b/extensions/hibernate-validator/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/validator/test/ClassHierarchyTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a9dd211d283b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/hibernate-validator/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/validator/test/ClassHierarchyTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package io.quarkus.hibernate.validator.test;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+import java.util.AbstractCollection;
+
+import jakarta.inject.Inject;
+import jakarta.validation.Valid;
+import jakarta.validation.Validator;
+
+import org.jboss.shrinkwrap.api.ShrinkWrap;
+import org.jboss.shrinkwrap.api.asset.ByteArrayAsset;
+import org.jboss.shrinkwrap.api.spec.JavaArchive;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.RegisterExtension;
+
+import io.quarkus.test.QuarkusUnitTest;
+import net.bytebuddy.ByteBuddy;
+import net.bytebuddy.dynamic.DynamicType;
+
+public class ClassHierarchyTest {
+
+    @RegisterExtension
+    static final QuarkusUnitTest test = new QuarkusUnitTest().setArchiveProducer(() -> {
+        JavaArchive javaArchive = ShrinkWrap.create(JavaArchive.class)
+                .addClass(Dto.class);
+        // Create an inner class with an incomplete hierarchy
+        try (DynamicType.Unloaded<?> superClass = new ByteBuddy()
+                .subclass(Object.class)
+                .name("SuperClass")
+                .make();
+                DynamicType.Unloaded<?> outerClass = new ByteBuddy()
+                        .subclass(superClass.getTypeDescription())
+                        .name("OuterClass")
+                        .make();
+                DynamicType.Unloaded<?> innerClass = new ByteBuddy()
+                        .subclass(AbstractCollection.class)
+                        .innerTypeOf(outerClass.getTypeDescription())
+                        .name("InnerClass")
+                        .make();
+                DynamicType.Loaded<?> innerLoad = innerClass.load(Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader())) {
+            javaArchive.add(new ByteArrayAsset(innerLoad.getBytes()), "InnerClass.class");
+        }
+        return javaArchive;
+    });
+
+    @Inject
+    Validator validator;
+
+    @Test
+    public void doNotFailWhenLoadingIncompleteClassHierarchy() {
+        assertThat(validator).isNotNull();
+    }
+
+    @Valid
+    public static class Dto {
+        String name;
+
+        // InnerClass is a subclass with an incomplete hierarchy
+        @Valid
+        AbstractCollection<String> items;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/extensions/hibernate-validator/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/validator/runtime/HibernateValidatorRecorder.java b/extensions/hibernate-validator/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/validator/runtime/HibernateValidatorRecorder.java
index 88b808fd14142..40429cc069436 100644
--- a/extensions/hibernate-validator/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/validator/runtime/HibernateValidatorRecorder.java
+++ b/extensions/hibernate-validator/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/validator/runtime/HibernateValidatorRecorder.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -76,6 +77,9 @@ public void created(BeanContainer container) {
                     configuration.localeResolver(localeResolver);
                 }
 
+                // Filter out classes with incomplete hierarchy
+                filterIncompleteClasses(classesToBeValidated);
+
                 configuration.builtinConstraints(detectedBuiltinConstraints)
                         .initializeBeanMetaData(classesToBeValidated)
                         // Locales, Locale ROOT means all locales in this setting.
@@ -188,6 +192,22 @@ public void run() {
                     }
                 });
             }
+
+            /**
+             * Filter out classes with incomplete hierarchy
+             */
+            private void filterIncompleteClasses(Set<Class<?>> classesToBeValidated) {
+                Iterator<Class<?>> iterator = classesToBeValidated.iterator();
+                while (iterator.hasNext()) {
+                    Class<?> clazz = iterator.next();
+                    try {
+                        // This should trigger a NoClassDefFoundError if the class has an incomplete hierarchy
+                        clazz.getCanonicalName();
+                    } catch (NoClassDefFoundError e) {
+                        iterator.remove();
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         };
 
         return beanContainerListener;