diff --git a/runtime/mirror/class.cc b/runtime/mirror/class.cc
index 9964b73..f08d4da 100644
--- a/runtime/mirror/class.cc
+++ b/runtime/mirror/class.cc
@@ -115,7 +115,9 @@
   ClassLinker* class_linker = Runtime::Current()->GetClassLinker();
   bool class_linker_initialized = class_linker != nullptr && class_linker->IsInitialized();
   if (LIKELY(class_linker_initialized)) {
-    if (UNLIKELY(new_status <= old_status && new_status != kStatusError &&
+    if (UNLIKELY(new_status <= old_status &&
+                 new_status != kStatusErrorUnresolved &&
+                 new_status != kStatusErrorResolved &&
                  new_status != kStatusRetired)) {
       LOG(FATAL) << "Unexpected change back of class status for " << h_this->PrettyClass()
                  << " " << old_status << " -> " << new_status;
@@ -127,10 +129,12 @@
             << h_this->PrettyClass() << " " << old_status << " -> " << new_status;
     }
   }
-  if (UNLIKELY(new_status == kStatusError)) {
-    CHECK_NE(h_this->GetStatus(), kStatusError)
+  if (UNLIKELY(IsErroneous(new_status))) {
+    CHECK(!h_this->IsErroneous())
         << "Attempt to set as erroneous an already erroneous class "
-        << h_this->PrettyClass();
+        << h_this->PrettyClass()
+        << " old_status: " << old_status << " new_status: " << new_status;
+    CHECK_EQ(new_status == kStatusErrorResolved, old_status >= kStatusResolved);
     if (VLOG_IS_ON(class_linker)) {
       LOG(ERROR) << "Setting " << h_this->PrettyDescriptor() << " to erroneous.";
       if (self->IsExceptionPending()) {
@@ -177,7 +181,7 @@
       // Class is a temporary one, ensure that waiters for resolution get notified of retirement
       // so that they can grab the new version of the class from the class linker's table.
       CHECK_LT(new_status, kStatusResolved) << h_this->PrettyDescriptor();
-      if (new_status == kStatusRetired || new_status == kStatusError) {
+      if (new_status == kStatusRetired || new_status == kStatusErrorUnresolved) {
         h_this->NotifyAll(self);
       }
     } else {
@@ -305,7 +309,7 @@
     }
     if (h_this->NumStaticFields() > 0) {
       os << "  static fields (" << h_this->NumStaticFields() << " entries):\n";
-      if (h_this->IsResolved() || h_this->IsErroneous()) {
+      if (h_this->IsResolved()) {
         for (size_t i = 0; i < h_this->NumStaticFields(); ++i) {
           os << StringPrintf("    %2zd: %s\n", i,
                              ArtField::PrettyField(h_this->GetStaticField(i)).c_str());
@@ -316,7 +320,7 @@
     }
     if (h_this->NumInstanceFields() > 0) {
       os << "  instance fields (" << h_this->NumInstanceFields() << " entries):\n";
-      if (h_this->IsResolved() || h_this->IsErroneous()) {
+      if (h_this->IsResolved()) {
         for (size_t i = 0; i < h_this->NumInstanceFields(); ++i) {
           os << StringPrintf("    %2zd: %s\n", i,
                              ArtField::PrettyField(h_this->GetInstanceField(i)).c_str());
diff --git a/runtime/mirror/class.h b/runtime/mirror/class.h
index fb2792a..7f6aa12 100644
--- a/runtime/mirror/class.h
+++ b/runtime/mirror/class.h
@@ -84,6 +84,13 @@
   // will be gc'ed once all refs to the class point to the newly
   // cloned version.
   //
+  // kStatusErrorUnresolved, kStatusErrorResolved: Class is erroneous. We need
+  // to distinguish between classes that have been resolved and classes that
+  // have not. This is important because the const-class instruction needs to
+  // return a previously resolved class even if its subsequent initialization
+  // failed. We also need this to decide whether to wrap a previous
+  // initialization failure in ClassDefNotFound error or not.
+  //
   // kStatusNotReady: If a Class cannot be found in the class table by
   // FindClass, it allocates an new one with AllocClass in the
   // kStatusNotReady and calls LoadClass. Note if it does find a
@@ -119,8 +126,9 @@
   //
   // TODO: Explain the other states
   enum Status {
-    kStatusRetired = -2,  // Retired, should not be used. Use the newly cloned one instead.
-    kStatusError = -1,
+    kStatusRetired = -3,  // Retired, should not be used. Use the newly cloned one instead.
+    kStatusErrorResolved = -2,
+    kStatusErrorUnresolved = -1,
     kStatusNotReady = 0,
     kStatusIdx = 1,  // Loaded, DEX idx in super_class_type_idx_ and interfaces_type_idx_.
     kStatusLoaded = 2,  // DEX idx values resolved.
@@ -158,8 +166,25 @@
 
   // Returns true if the class has failed to link.
   template<VerifyObjectFlags kVerifyFlags = kDefaultVerifyFlags>
+  bool IsErroneousUnresolved() REQUIRES_SHARED(Locks::mutator_lock_) {
+    return GetStatus<kVerifyFlags>() == kStatusErrorUnresolved;
+  }
+
+  // Returns true if the class has failed to initialize.
+  template<VerifyObjectFlags kVerifyFlags = kDefaultVerifyFlags>
+  bool IsErroneousResolved() REQUIRES_SHARED(Locks::mutator_lock_) {
+    return GetStatus<kVerifyFlags>() == kStatusErrorResolved;
+  }
+
+  // Returns true if the class status indicets that the class has failed to link or initialize.
+  static bool IsErroneous(Status status) {
+    return status == kStatusErrorUnresolved || status == kStatusErrorResolved;
+  }
+
+  // Returns true if the class has failed to link or initialize.
+  template<VerifyObjectFlags kVerifyFlags = kDefaultVerifyFlags>
   bool IsErroneous() REQUIRES_SHARED(Locks::mutator_lock_) {
-    return GetStatus<kVerifyFlags>() == kStatusError;
+    return IsErroneous(GetStatus<kVerifyFlags>());
   }
 
   // Returns true if the class has been loaded.
@@ -177,7 +202,8 @@
   // Returns true if the class has been linked.
   template<VerifyObjectFlags kVerifyFlags = kDefaultVerifyFlags>
   bool IsResolved() REQUIRES_SHARED(Locks::mutator_lock_) {
-    return GetStatus<kVerifyFlags>() >= kStatusResolved;
+    Status status = GetStatus<kVerifyFlags>();
+    return status >= kStatusResolved || status == kStatusErrorResolved;
   }
 
   // Returns true if the class was compile-time verified.
@@ -345,7 +371,7 @@
   // be replaced with a class with the right size for embedded imt/vtable.
   bool IsTemp() REQUIRES_SHARED(Locks::mutator_lock_) {
     Status s = GetStatus();
-    return s < Status::kStatusResolving && ShouldHaveEmbeddedVTable();
+    return s < Status::kStatusResolving && s != kStatusErrorResolved && ShouldHaveEmbeddedVTable();
   }
 
   String* GetName() REQUIRES_SHARED(Locks::mutator_lock_);  // Returns the cached name.
@@ -1017,7 +1043,7 @@
   // Returns the number of instance fields containing reference types. Does not count fields in any
   // super classes.
   uint32_t NumReferenceInstanceFields() REQUIRES_SHARED(Locks::mutator_lock_) {
-    DCHECK(IsResolved() || IsErroneous());
+    DCHECK(IsResolved());
     return GetField32(OFFSET_OF_OBJECT_MEMBER(Class, num_reference_instance_fields_));
   }
 
@@ -1045,7 +1071,7 @@
 
   // Returns the number of static fields containing reference types.
   uint32_t NumReferenceStaticFields() REQUIRES_SHARED(Locks::mutator_lock_) {
-    DCHECK(IsResolved() || IsErroneous());
+    DCHECK(IsResolved());
     return GetField32(OFFSET_OF_OBJECT_MEMBER(Class, num_reference_static_fields_));
   }