diff --git a/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/A.java b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/A.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d4e957
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/A.java
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package invokestatic.issue4;
+
+public class A {
+
+	public static String getString() {
+		return "String1";
+	}
+}
diff --git a/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/AA.java b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/AA.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c40448
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/AA.java
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package invokestatic.issue4;
+
+public class AA {
+
+	public static String getString() {
+		return "String1";
+	}
+}
diff --git a/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/AAA.java b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/AAA.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ffecb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/AAA.java
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package invokestatic.issue4;
+
+public class AAA {
+
+	public static String getString() {
+		return "String1";
+	}
+}
diff --git a/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/B.java b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/B.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..317e1e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/B.java
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package invokestatic.issue4;
+
+public class B extends A {
+	
+	public static String getMessage() {
+		return getString();
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/BB.java b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/BB.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36073fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/BB.java
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package invokestatic.issue4;
+
+public class BB extends AA {
+	
+	public static String getMessage() {
+		return BB.getString();
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/BBB.java b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/BBB.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a9a150b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springsource.loaded.testdata/src/invokestatic/issue4/BBB.java
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+package invokestatic.issue4;
+
+public class BBB extends AAA {
+	
+	public static String getMessage() {
+		return AAA.getString();
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/org.springsource.loaded/src/main/java/org/springsource/loaded/TypeRegistry.java b/org.springsource.loaded/src/main/java/org/springsource/loaded/TypeRegistry.java
index ccf7215..c706bbf 100644
--- a/org.springsource.loaded/src/main/java/org/springsource/loaded/TypeRegistry.java
+++ b/org.springsource.loaded/src/main/java/org/springsource/loaded/TypeRegistry.java
@@ -1115,7 +1115,37 @@ public class TypeRegistry {
 					.getFromLatestByDescriptor(nameAndDescriptor);
 			boolean dispatchThroughDescriptor = false;
 			if (method == null) {
-				// method has been deleted
+				// method has been deleted or is on a supertype
+				
+				// Search supertypes - block copied from invokespecialSearch below, TODO could refactor into common util
+				Object dispatcherToUse = null;
+				ReloadableType nextCandidate = reloadableType.getTypeRegistry().getReloadableType(reloadableType.getTypeDescriptor().getSupertypeName(),false);
+				boolean found  = false; 
+				while (nextCandidate != null) {
+					MethodMember m = null;
+					if (nextCandidate.hasBeenReloaded()) {
+						m = nextCandidate.getLiveVersion().incrementalTypeDescriptor.getFromLatestByDescriptor(nameAndDescriptor);
+						if (m != null && IncrementalTypeDescriptor.wasDeleted(m)) {
+							m = null;
+						}
+						// ignore catchers because the dynamic __execute method wont have an implementation of them, we should
+						// just keep looking for the real thing
+						if (m != null && MethodMember.isCatcher(m)) {
+							m = null;
+						}
+					} else {
+						m = nextCandidate.getMethod(nameAndDescriptor);
+					}
+					if (m != null) {
+						dispatcherToUse = reloadableType.getLatestDispatcherInstance();
+						found = true;
+						break;
+					}
+					nextCandidate = reloadableType.getTypeRegistry().getReloadableType(reloadableType.getTypeDescriptor().getSupertypeName(),false);
+				}
+				if (found) {
+					return dispatcherToUse;
+				}
 				throw new NoSuchMethodError(reloadableType.getBaseName() + "." + nameAndDescriptor);
 			} else if (IncrementalTypeDescriptor.isBrandNewMethod(method)) {
 				// definetly need to use the dispatcher
diff --git a/org.springsource.loaded/src/test/java/org/springsource/loaded/test/ReloadableTypeTests.java b/org.springsource.loaded/src/test/java/org/springsource/loaded/test/ReloadableTypeTests.java
index b716db6..7948979 100644
--- a/org.springsource.loaded/src/test/java/org/springsource/loaded/test/ReloadableTypeTests.java
+++ b/org.springsource.loaded/src/test/java/org/springsource/loaded/test/ReloadableTypeTests.java
@@ -166,6 +166,70 @@ public class ReloadableTypeTests extends SpringLoadedTests {
 		assertEquals(3, runOnInstance(rtype.getClazz(), instance, "getProtectedStaticField").returnValue);
 
 	}
+	
+	
+	// github issue 4
+	@Test
+	public void invokeStaticReloading_gh4_1() throws Exception {
+		TypeRegistry tr = getTypeRegistry("invokestatic..*");
+		ReloadableType A = tr.addType("invokestatic.issue4.A", loadBytesForClass("invokestatic.issue4.A"));
+		ReloadableType B = tr.addType("invokestatic.issue4.B", loadBytesForClass("invokestatic.issue4.B"));
+		
+		Result r = runUnguarded(B.getClazz(), "getMessage");
+		assertEquals("String1",(String)r.returnValue);
+		
+		B.loadNewVersion(B.bytesInitial);
+
+		r = runUnguarded(B.getClazz(), "getMessage");
+		assertEquals("String1",(String)r.returnValue);
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void invokeStaticReloading_gh4_2() throws Exception {
+		TypeRegistry tr = getTypeRegistry("invokestatic..*");
+		ReloadableType AA = tr.addType("invokestatic.issue4.AA", loadBytesForClass("invokestatic.issue4.AA"));
+		ReloadableType BB = tr.addType("invokestatic.issue4.BB", loadBytesForClass("invokestatic.issue4.BB"));
+		
+		Result r = runUnguarded(BB.getClazz(), "getMessage");
+		assertEquals("String1",(String)r.returnValue);
+		
+		BB.loadNewVersion(BB.bytesInitial);
+
+		r = runUnguarded(BB.getClazz(), "getMessage");
+		assertEquals("String1",(String)r.returnValue);
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void invokeStaticReloading_gh4_3() throws Exception {
+		TypeRegistry tr = getTypeRegistry("invokestatic..*");
+		ReloadableType AAA = tr.addType("invokestatic.issue4.AAA", loadBytesForClass("invokestatic.issue4.AAA"));
+		ReloadableType BBB = tr.addType("invokestatic.issue4.BBB", loadBytesForClass("invokestatic.issue4.BBB"));
+		
+		Result r = runUnguarded(BBB.getClazz(), "getMessage");
+		assertEquals("String1",(String)r.returnValue);
+		
+		AAA.loadNewVersion(AAA.bytesInitial);
+
+		r = runUnguarded(BBB.getClazz(), "getMessage");
+		assertEquals("String1",(String)r.returnValue);
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void invokeStaticReloading_gh4_4() throws Exception {
+		TypeRegistry tr = getTypeRegistry("invokestatic..*");
+		ReloadableType A = tr.addType("invokestatic.issue4.A", loadBytesForClass("invokestatic.issue4.A"));
+		ReloadableType B = tr.addType("invokestatic.issue4.B", loadBytesForClass("invokestatic.issue4.B"));
+		
+		Result r = runUnguarded(B.getClazz(), "getMessage");
+		assertEquals("String1",(String)r.returnValue);
+
+		A.loadNewVersion(A.bytesInitial);
+		B.loadNewVersion(B.bytesInitial);
+
+		r = runUnguarded(B.getClazz(), "getMessage");
+		assertEquals("String1",(String)r.returnValue);
+	}
+
 
 	@Test
 	public void protectedFieldAccessors2() throws Exception {