diff --git a/extensions/avro/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/avro/deployment/AvroProcessor.java b/extensions/avro/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/avro/deployment/AvroProcessor.java
index 1cf6a40f8ed895..d1f96c6f6b2804 100644
--- a/extensions/avro/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/avro/deployment/AvroProcessor.java
+++ b/extensions/avro/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/avro/deployment/AvroProcessor.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import java.util.Collection;
 
-import org.apache.avro.generic.GenericDatumReader;
 import org.apache.avro.specific.AvroGenerated;
 import org.jboss.jandex.AnnotationInstance;
 import org.jboss.jandex.AnnotationTarget;
@@ -24,14 +23,12 @@ public void build(CombinedIndexBuildItem indexBuildItem,
             BuildProducer<NativeImageConfigBuildItem> conf) {
 
         NativeImageConfigBuildItem.Builder builder = NativeImageConfigBuildItem.builder();
-        builder.addRuntimeInitializedClass(GenericDatumReader.class.getName());
 
         Collection<AnnotationInstance> annotations = indexBuildItem.getIndex()
                 .getAnnotations(DotName.createSimple(AvroGenerated.class.getName()));
         for (AnnotationInstance annotation : annotations) {
             if (annotation.target().kind() == AnnotationTarget.Kind.CLASS) {
                 String className = annotation.target().asClass().name().toString();
-                builder.addRuntimeInitializedClass(className);
                 reflectiveClass.produce(new ReflectiveClassBuildItem(true, true, true, className));
             }
         }
diff --git a/extensions/avro/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/avro/graal/AvroSubstitutions.java b/extensions/avro/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/avro/graal/AvroSubstitutions.java
index 6d480fef3d507f..009db1593e49e1 100644
--- a/extensions/avro/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/avro/graal/AvroSubstitutions.java
+++ b/extensions/avro/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/avro/graal/AvroSubstitutions.java
@@ -2,10 +2,16 @@
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.IdentityHashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 
+import org.apache.avro.Schema;
+import org.apache.avro.generic.GenericData;
 import org.apache.avro.generic.IndexedRecord;
+import org.apache.avro.io.DatumReader;
+import org.apache.avro.io.ResolvingDecoder;
+import org.apache.avro.util.WeakIdentityHashMap;
 
 import com.oracle.svm.core.annotate.Alias;
 import com.oracle.svm.core.annotate.Inject;
@@ -79,5 +85,45 @@ public Target_org_apache_avro_reflect_ReflectData_ClassAccessorData(Class<?> c)
 
 }
 
+@TargetClass(className = "org.apache.avro.generic.GenericDatumReader")
+final class Target_org_apache_avro_generic_GenericDatumReader {
+
+    @Alias
+    private GenericData data;
+    @Alias
+    private Schema actual;
+    @Alias
+    private Schema expected;
+    @Alias
+    private DatumReader<?> fastDatumReader;
+    @Alias
+    private ResolvingDecoder creatorResolver;
+    @Alias
+    @RecomputeFieldValue(kind = RecomputeFieldValue.Kind.Reset)
+    private Thread creator;
+
+    @Alias
+    @RecomputeFieldValue(kind = RecomputeFieldValue.Kind.FromAlias)
+    private static ThreadLocal<Map<Schema, Map<Schema, ResolvingDecoder>>> RESOLVER_CACHE = ThreadLocal.withInitial(
+            WeakIdentityHashMap::new);
+    @Alias
+    @RecomputeFieldValue(kind = RecomputeFieldValue.Kind.Reset)
+    private Map<Schema, Class> stringClassCache;
+    @Alias
+    @RecomputeFieldValue(kind = RecomputeFieldValue.Kind.Reset)
+    private Map<Class, Constructor> stringCtorCache;
+
+    @Substitute
+    protected Target_org_apache_avro_generic_GenericDatumReader(GenericData data) {
+        this.fastDatumReader = null;
+        this.creatorResolver = null;
+        this.stringClassCache = new IdentityHashMap();
+        this.stringCtorCache = new HashMap();
+        this.data = data;
+        this.creator = Thread.currentThread();
+    }
+
+}
+
 class AvroSubstitutions {
 }