@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@ public boolean isSubtype(TypeElement t1, TypeElement t2) {
 		return isSubtype(t1.asType(), t2.asType());
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * This method may return null if the {@link TypeElement} cannot be found in
+	 * the processor classpath
+	 */
 	public TypeElement typeElementFromQualifiedName(String qualifiedName) {
 		return processingEnv.getElementUtils().getTypeElement(qualifiedName);
 	}
@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ public boolean isAbstract(Element element) {
 	public boolean isInterface(TypeElement element) {
 		return element.getKind().isInterface();
 	}
-	
+
 	public boolean isTopLevel(TypeElement element) {
 		return element.getNestingKind() == NestingKind.TOP_LEVEL;
 	}
 
@@ -658,9 +658,12 @@ public void extendsOneOfTypes(Element element, List<String> typeQualifiedNames,
 		TypeMirror elementType = element.asType();
 
 		for (String typeQualifiedName : typeQualifiedNames) {
-			TypeMirror expectedType = annotationHelper.typeElementFromQualifiedName(typeQualifiedName).asType();
-			if (annotationHelper.isSubtype(elementType, expectedType)) {
-				return;
+			TypeElement typeElement = annotationHelper.typeElementFromQualifiedName(typeQualifiedName);
+			if (typeElement != null) {
+				TypeMirror expectedType = typeElement.asType();
+				if (annotationHelper.isSubtype(elementType, expectedType)) {
+					return;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		valid.invalidate();
@@ -670,10 +673,13 @@ public void extendsOneOfTypes(Element element, List<String> typeQualifiedNames,
 	public void extendsType(Element element, String typeQualifiedName, IsValid valid) {
 		TypeMirror elementType = element.asType();
 
-		TypeMirror expectedType = annotationHelper.typeElementFromQualifiedName(typeQualifiedName).asType();
-		if (!annotationHelper.isSubtype(elementType, expectedType)) {
-			valid.invalidate();
-			annotationHelper.printAnnotationError(element, "%s can only be used on an element that extends " + typeQualifiedName);
+		TypeElement typeElement = annotationHelper.typeElementFromQualifiedName(typeQualifiedName);
+		if (typeElement != null) {
+			TypeMirror expectedType = typeElement.asType();
+			if (!annotationHelper.isSubtype(elementType, expectedType)) {
+				valid.invalidate();
+				annotationHelper.printAnnotationError(element, "%s can only be used on an element that extends " + typeQualifiedName);
+			}
 		}
 	}
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@ public boolean isSubtype(TypeElement t1, TypeElement t2) {`
`122`	`122`	`return isSubtype(t1.asType(), t2.asType());`
`123`	`123`	`}`
`124`	`124`
	`125`	`+ /**`
	`126`	`+ * This method may return null if the {@link TypeElement} cannot be found in`
	`127`	`+ * the processor classpath`
	`128`	`+ */`
`125`	`129`	`public TypeElement typeElementFromQualifiedName(String qualifiedName) {`
`126`	`130`	`return processingEnv.getElementUtils().getTypeElement(qualifiedName);`
`127`	`131`	`}`
`@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ public boolean isAbstract(Element element) {`
`174`	`178`	`public boolean isInterface(TypeElement element) {`
`175`	`179`	`return element.getKind().isInterface();`
`176`	`180`	`}`
`177`		`-`
	`181`	`+`
`178`	`182`	`public boolean isTopLevel(TypeElement element) {`
`179`	`183`	`return element.getNestingKind() == NestingKind.TOP_LEVEL;`
`180`	`184`	`}`