diff --git a/src/main/java/org/scijava/plugin/DefaultPluginFinder.java b/src/main/java/org/scijava/plugin/DefaultPluginFinder.java
index 3c34ba6a5..20c58a30c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/scijava/plugin/DefaultPluginFinder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/scijava/plugin/DefaultPluginFinder.java
@@ -110,7 +110,24 @@ private PluginInfo<SciJavaPlugin> createInfo(
 
 	private ClassLoader getClassLoader() {
 		if (customClassLoader != null) return customClassLoader;
-		return Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
+
+		/*
+		 * If not even the current class can be found by the current
+		 * Thread's context class loader, chances are that the plugins
+		 * the caller tries to discover using this plugin finder cannot
+		 * be found, either. Therefore let's use the current class'
+		 * class loader in that case. This is not completely
+		 * fool-proof, but better than nothing.
+		 */
+		final ClassLoader thisLoader = getClass().getClassLoader();
+		final ClassLoader contextLoader =
+			Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
+		for (ClassLoader loader = contextLoader;
+				loader != null;
+				loader = loader.getParent()) {
+			if (thisLoader == loader) return contextLoader;
+		}
+		return thisLoader;
 	}
 
 }