diff --git a/Zend/zend_execute_API.c b/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
index 2511e40c19d..3a49f1a3f31 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_execute_API.c
@@ -1097,7 +1097,7 @@ ZEND_API zend_class_entry *zend_lookup_class_ex(zend_string *name, zend_string *
 	}
 
 	/* Verify class name before passing it to the autoloader. */
-	if (!key && !zend_is_valid_class_name(name)) {
+	if (!key && !ZSTR_HAS_CE_CACHE(name) && !zend_is_valid_class_name(name)) {
 		zend_string_release_ex(lc_name, 0);
 		return NULL;
 	}