Index: main/java/org/exolab/castor/xml/util/XMLClassDescriptorResolverImpl.java
===================================================================
--- main/java/org/exolab/castor/xml/util/XMLClassDescriptorResolverImpl.java	(Revision 6897)
+++ main/java/org/exolab/castor/xml/util/XMLClassDescriptorResolverImpl.java	(Arbeitskopie)
@@ -421,13 +421,25 @@
      *            The preferred <code>ClassLoader</code>
      * @return The <code>XMLClassDescriptor</code> loaded from the
      *         corresponding .class file or <code>null</code> if the .class
-     *         file does not exist or does not containa valid
+     *         file does not exist or does not contain a valid
      *         <code>XMLClassDescriptor</code>.
      */
     private XMLClassDescriptor loadDescriptorClass(String className, ClassLoader loader) {
-        String descriptorClassName = className + XMLConstants.DESCRIPTOR_SUFFIX;
-        Class descriptorClass = _classCache.loadClass(descriptorClassName, this.getClassLoader(loader));
+    	StringBuffer descriptorClassName = new StringBuffer(className);
+    	descriptorClassName.append(XMLConstants.DESCRIPTOR_SUFFIX);
+        Class descriptorClass = _classCache.loadClass(descriptorClassName.toString(), this.getClassLoader(loader));
+
+        // If we didn't find the descriptor, look in descriptor package
         if (descriptorClass == null) {
+        	int offset = descriptorClassName.lastIndexOf(".");
+        	if (offset != -1) {
+        		descriptorClassName.insert(offset , ".");
+        		descriptorClassName.insert(offset + 1, XMLConstants.DESCRIPTOR_PACKAGE);
+                descriptorClass = _classCache.loadClass(descriptorClassName.toString(), this.getClassLoader(loader));
+        	}
+        }
+        
+        if (descriptorClass == null) {
             return null;
         }
 
@@ -514,15 +526,6 @@
 
         // try loading the descriptor from .class file
         descriptor = this.loadDescriptorClass(className, loader);
-        if (descriptor == null) {
-            // If we didn't find the descriptor, look in a lower package
-            int offset = className.lastIndexOf(".");
-            if (offset > 0 && !className.endsWith(".")) {
-                String newClassName = className.substring(0, offset+1)
-                        + XMLConstants.DESCRIPTOR_PACKAGE + className.substring(offset);
-                descriptor = this.loadDescriptorClass(newClassName, loader);
-            }
-        }
         if (descriptor != null) {
             return descriptor;
         }