diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationAttributes.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationAttributes.java
index 61681a4a79..3a6f44f3ea 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationAttributes.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationAttributes.java
@@ -369,10 +369,10 @@ public class AnnotationAttributes extends LinkedHashMap<String, Object> {
 	}
 
 	private void assertNotException(String attributeName, Object attributeValue) {
-		if (attributeValue instanceof Exception) {
+		if (attributeValue instanceof Throwable) {
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException(String.format(
 					"Attribute '%s' for annotation [%s] was not resolvable due to exception [%s]",
-					attributeName, this.displayName, attributeValue), (Exception) attributeValue);
+					attributeName, this.displayName, attributeValue), (Throwable) attributeValue);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -385,26 +385,6 @@ public class AnnotationAttributes extends LinkedHashMap<String, Object> {
 		}
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Store the supplied {@code value} in this map under the specified
-	 * {@code key}, unless a value is already stored under the key.
-	 * @param key the key under which to store the value
-	 * @param value the value to store
-	 * @return the current value stored in this map, or {@code null} if no
-	 * value was previously stored in this map
-	 * @see #get
-	 * @see #put
-	 * @since 4.2
-	 */
-	@Override
-	public Object putIfAbsent(String key, Object value) {
-		Object obj = get(key);
-		if (obj == null) {
-			obj = put(key, value);
-		}
-		return obj;
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	public String toString() {
 		Iterator<Map.Entry<String, Object>> entries = entrySet().iterator();
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationAttributesTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationAttributesTests.java
index 54d286cdcd..fd23536d28 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationAttributesTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/annotation/AnnotationAttributesTests.java
@@ -72,13 +72,21 @@ public class AnnotationAttributesTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void unresolvableClass() throws Exception {
+	public void unresolvableClassWithClassNotFoundException() throws Exception {
 		attributes.put("unresolvableClass", new ClassNotFoundException("myclass"));
 		assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(() ->
 				attributes.getClass("unresolvableClass"))
 			.withMessageContaining("myclass");
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void unresolvableClassWithLinkageError() throws Exception {
+		attributes.put("unresolvableClass", new LinkageError("myclass"));
+		exception.expect(IllegalArgumentException.class);
+		exception.expectMessage(containsString("myclass"));
+		attributes.getClass("unresolvableClass");
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void singleElementToSingleElementArrayConversionSupport() throws Exception {
 		Filter filter = FilteredClass.class.getAnnotation(Filter.class);