diff --git a/extensions/smallrye-metrics/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/metrics/deployment/jandex/JandexBeanInfoAdapter.java b/extensions/smallrye-metrics/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/metrics/deployment/jandex/JandexBeanInfoAdapter.java
index 0b4ff51813a1d..e33ffaf1142a6 100644
--- a/extensions/smallrye-metrics/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/metrics/deployment/jandex/JandexBeanInfoAdapter.java
+++ b/extensions/smallrye-metrics/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/metrics/deployment/jandex/JandexBeanInfoAdapter.java
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public BeanInfo convert(ClassInfo input) {
     private Stream<AnnotationInfo> getMetricAnnotationsThroughStereotype(AnnotationInstance stereotypeInstance,
             IndexView indexView) {
         ClassInfo annotationType = indexView.getClassByName(stereotypeInstance.name());
-        if (annotationType.classAnnotation(DotNames.STEREOTYPE) != null) {
+        if (annotationType != null && annotationType.declaredAnnotation(DotNames.STEREOTYPE) != null) {
             JandexAnnotationInfoAdapter adapter = new JandexAnnotationInfoAdapter(indexView);
             return transformedAnnotations.getAnnotations(annotationType)
                     .stream()