diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/ClassUtils.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/ClassUtils.java
index 52853dd19a..61c54a84a1 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/ClassUtils.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/ClassUtils.java
@@ -406,24 +406,40 @@ public abstract class ClassUtils {
 		Assert.notNull(clazz, "Class must not be null");
 		try {
 			ClassLoader target = clazz.getClassLoader();
-			if (target == null) {
+			// Common cases
+			if (target == classLoader || target == null) {
 				return true;
 			}
-			ClassLoader cur = classLoader;
-			if (cur == target) {
-				return true;
+			if (classLoader == null) {
+				return false;
 			}
-			while (cur != null) {
-				cur = cur.getParent();
-				if (cur == target) {
+			// Check for match in ancestors -> positive
+			ClassLoader current = classLoader;
+			while (current != null) {
+				current = current.getParent();
+				if (current == target) {
 					return true;
 				}
 			}
-			return false;
+			// Check for match in children -> negative
+			while (target != null) {
+				target = target.getParent();
+				if (target == classLoader) {
+					return false;
+				}
+			}
 		}
 		catch (SecurityException ex) {
-			// Probably from the system ClassLoader - let's consider it safe.
-			return true;
+			// Fall through to Class reference comparison below
+		}
+
+		try {
+			// Fallback for ClassLoaders without parent/child relationship:
+			// safe if same Class can be loaded from given ClassLoader
+			return (clazz == forName(clazz.getName(), classLoader));
+		}
+		catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
+			return false;
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/ClassUtilsTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/ClassUtilsTests.java
index 8786363c68..5d783df70d 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/ClassUtilsTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/ClassUtilsTests.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package org.springframework.util;
 
+import java.io.Externalizable;
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
@@ -44,20 +45,21 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.*;
  * @author Rob Harrop
  * @author Rick Evans
  */
-@SuppressWarnings({ "rawtypes", "unchecked" })
 public class ClassUtilsTests {
 
 	private ClassLoader classLoader = getClass().getClassLoader();
 
+
 	@Before
-	public void setUp() {
+	public void clearStatics() {
 		InnerClass.noArgCalled = false;
 		InnerClass.argCalled = false;
 		InnerClass.overloadedCalled = false;
 	}
 
+
 	@Test
-	public void testIsPresent() throws Exception {
+	public void testIsPresent() {
 		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isPresent("java.lang.String", classLoader));
 		assertFalse(ClassUtils.isPresent("java.lang.MySpecialString", classLoader));
 	}
@@ -114,6 +116,36 @@ public class ClassUtilsTests {
 		assertEquals(double[].class, ClassUtils.forName(double[].class.getName(), classLoader));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testIsCacheSafe() {
+		ClassLoader childLoader1 = new ClassLoader(classLoader) {};
+		ClassLoader childLoader2 = new ClassLoader(classLoader) {};
+		ClassLoader childLoader3 = new ClassLoader(classLoader) {
+			@Override
+			public Class<?> loadClass(String name) throws ClassNotFoundException {
+				return childLoader1.loadClass(name);
+			}
+		};
+		Class<?> composite = ClassUtils.createCompositeInterface(
+				new Class<?>[] {Serializable.class, Externalizable.class}, childLoader1);
+
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(String.class, null));
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(String.class, classLoader));
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(String.class, childLoader1));
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(String.class, childLoader2));
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(String.class, childLoader3));
+		assertFalse(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(InnerClass.class, null));
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(InnerClass.class, classLoader));
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(InnerClass.class, childLoader1));
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(InnerClass.class, childLoader2));
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(InnerClass.class, childLoader3));
+		assertFalse(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(composite, null));
+		assertFalse(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(composite, classLoader));
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(composite, childLoader1));
+		assertFalse(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(composite, childLoader2));
+		assertTrue(ClassUtils.isCacheSafe(composite, childLoader3));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testGetShortName() {
 		String className = ClassUtils.getShortName(getClass());
@@ -199,7 +231,7 @@ public class ClassUtilsTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void testHasMethod() throws Exception {
+	public void testHasMethod() {
 		assertTrue(ClassUtils.hasMethod(Collection.class, "size"));
 		assertTrue(ClassUtils.hasMethod(Collection.class, "remove", Object.class));
 		assertFalse(ClassUtils.hasMethod(Collection.class, "remove"));
@@ -207,7 +239,7 @@ public class ClassUtilsTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void testGetMethodIfAvailable() throws Exception {
+	public void testGetMethodIfAvailable() {
 		Method method = ClassUtils.getMethodIfAvailable(Collection.class, "size");
 		assertNotNull(method);
 		assertEquals("size", method.getName());
@@ -278,7 +310,7 @@ public class ClassUtilsTests {
 	@Test
 	public void testClassPackageAsResourcePath() {
 		String result = ClassUtils.classPackageAsResourcePath(Proxy.class);
-		assertTrue(result.equals("java/lang/reflect"));
+		assertEquals("java/lang/reflect", result);
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -294,7 +326,7 @@ public class ClassUtilsTests {
 	@Test
 	public void testGetAllInterfaces() {
 		DerivedTestObject testBean = new DerivedTestObject();
-		List ifcs = Arrays.asList(ClassUtils.getAllInterfaces(testBean));
+		List<Class<?>> ifcs = Arrays.asList(ClassUtils.getAllInterfaces(testBean));
 		assertEquals("Correct number of interfaces", 4, ifcs.size());
 		assertTrue("Contains Serializable", ifcs.contains(Serializable.class));
 		assertTrue("Contains ITestBean", ifcs.contains(ITestObject.class));
@@ -303,13 +335,13 @@ public class ClassUtilsTests {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testClassNamesToString() {
-		List ifcs = new LinkedList();
+		List<Class<?>> ifcs = new LinkedList<>();
 		ifcs.add(Serializable.class);
 		ifcs.add(Runnable.class);
 		assertEquals("[interface java.io.Serializable, interface java.lang.Runnable]", ifcs.toString());
 		assertEquals("[java.io.Serializable, java.lang.Runnable]", ClassUtils.classNamesToString(ifcs));
 
-		List classes = new LinkedList();
+		List<Class<?>> classes = new LinkedList<>();
 		classes.add(LinkedList.class);
 		classes.add(Integer.class);
 		assertEquals("[class java.util.LinkedList, class java.lang.Integer]", classes.toString());
@@ -319,7 +351,7 @@ public class ClassUtilsTests {
 		assertEquals("[java.util.List]", ClassUtils.classNamesToString(List.class));
 
 		assertEquals("[]", Collections.EMPTY_LIST.toString());
-		assertEquals("[]", ClassUtils.classNamesToString(Collections.EMPTY_LIST));
+		assertEquals("[]", ClassUtils.classNamesToString(Collections.emptyList()));
 	}
 
 	@Test