diff --git a/extension/android/jni/jni_helper.cpp b/extension/android/jni/jni_helper.cpp
index b92856bacb2..6491524c7ac 100644
--- a/extension/android/jni/jni_helper.cpp
+++ b/extension/android/jni/jni_helper.cpp
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ namespace executorch::jni_helper {
 void throwExecutorchException(uint32_t errorCode, const std::string& details) {
   // Get the current JNI environment
   auto env = facebook::jni::Environment::current();
+  if (!env) {
+    return;
+  }
 
-  // Find the Java ExecutorchRuntimeException class
-  static auto exceptionClass = facebook::jni::findClassLocal(
-      "org/pytorch/executorch/ExecutorchRuntimeException");
+  // stable/global class ref — safe to cache
+  static const auto exceptionClass =
+      JExecutorchRuntimeException::javaClassStatic();
 
   // Find the static factory method: makeExecutorchException(int, String)
   static auto makeExceptionMethod =
diff --git a/extension/android/jni/jni_helper.h b/extension/android/jni/jni_helper.h
index 996d75581d3..898c1619d9c 100644
--- a/extension/android/jni/jni_helper.h
+++ b/extension/android/jni/jni_helper.h
@@ -23,4 +23,11 @@ namespace executorch::jni_helper {
  */
 void throwExecutorchException(uint32_t errorCode, const std::string& details);
 
+// Define the JavaClass wrapper
+struct JExecutorchRuntimeException
+    : public facebook::jni::JavaClass<JExecutorchRuntimeException> {
+  static constexpr auto kJavaDescriptor =
+      "Lorg/pytorch/executorch/ExecutorchRuntimeException;";
+};
+
 } // namespace executorch::jni_helper