diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java
index 0647386c21cb..cae1c9a88c6a 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2023 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2024 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -124,18 +124,19 @@ private static void processAheadOfTime(Class<?> clazz, Collection<Class<?>> vali
 			try {
 				descriptor = validator.getConstraintsForClass(clazz);
 			}
-			catch (RuntimeException ex) {
+			catch (RuntimeException | LinkageError ex) {
+				String className = clazz.getName();
 				if (KotlinDetector.isKotlinType(clazz) && ex instanceof ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException) {
 					// See https://hibernate.atlassian.net/browse/HV-1796 and https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/KT-40857
-					logger.warn("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class " + clazz +
+					logger.warn("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class " + className +
 							" due to an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException at validator level");
 				}
 				else if (ex instanceof TypeNotPresentException) {
 					logger.debug("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class " +
-							clazz + " due to a TypeNotPresentException at validator level: " + ex.getMessage());
+							className + " due to a TypeNotPresentException at validator level: " + ex.getMessage());
 				}
 				else {
-					logger.warn("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class " + clazz, ex);
+					logger.warn("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class " + className, ex);
 				}
 				return;
 			}
diff --git a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java
index d43d8033317d..065dff57ec87 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2023 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2024 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.RegisteredBean;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.RootBeanDefinition;
+import org.springframework.core.OverridingClassLoader;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 
 import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE;
@@ -121,6 +122,14 @@ void shouldProcessTransitiveGenericTypeLevelConstraint() {
 				.withMemberCategory(MemberCategory.INVOKE_DECLARED_CONSTRUCTORS)).accepts(this.generationContext.getRuntimeHints());
 	}
 
+	@Test  // gh-33940
+	void shouldSkipConstraintWithMissingDependency() throws Exception {
+		FilteringClassLoader classLoader = new FilteringClassLoader(getClass().getClassLoader());
+		Class<?> beanClass = classLoader.loadClass(ConstraintWithMissingDependency.class.getName());
+		process(beanClass);
+		assertThat(this.generationContext.getRuntimeHints().reflection().typeHints()).isEmpty();
+	}
+
 	private void process(Class<?> beanClass) {
 		BeanRegistrationAotContribution contribution = createContribution(beanClass);
 		if (contribution != null) {
@@ -244,4 +253,31 @@ public void setExclude(List<Exclude> exclude) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	static class ConstraintWithMissingDependency {
+
+		private final Filtered filtered = new Filtered();
+	}
+
+	static class Filtered {}
+
+	static class FilteringClassLoader extends OverridingClassLoader {
+
+		FilteringClassLoader(ClassLoader parent) {
+			super(parent);
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		protected boolean isEligibleForOverriding(String className) {
+			return className.startsWith(BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.class.getName());
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		protected Class<?> loadClassForOverriding(String name) throws ClassNotFoundException {
+			if (name.contains("Filtered")) {
+				throw new NoClassDefFoundError(name);
+			}
+			return super.loadClassForOverriding(name);
+		}
+	}
+
 }