diff --git a/infer/src/IR/Subtype.mli b/infer/src/IR/Subtype.mli
index c218bfad1..3261c55cd 100644
--- a/infer/src/IR/Subtype.mli
+++ b/infer/src/IR/Subtype.mli
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ val is_known_subtype : Tenv.t -> Typ.Name.t -> Typ.Name.t -> bool
 
 val is_cast : t -> bool
 
-val is_instof : t -> bool
+val is_instof : t -> bool [@@warning "-32"]
 
 val equal_modulo_flag : t -> t -> bool
 (** equality ignoring flags in the subtype *)
diff --git a/infer/src/concurrency/classLoads.ml b/infer/src/concurrency/classLoads.ml
index 0e22c5294..0904a99e8 100644
--- a/infer/src/concurrency/classLoads.ml
+++ b/infer/src/concurrency/classLoads.ml
@@ -73,9 +73,6 @@ let rec add_loads_of_exp proc_desc tenv loc (exp : Exp.t) astate =
   | Sizeof {typ= {desc= Tarray {elt}}} ->
       (* anewarray / multinewarray *)
       load_array proc_desc tenv loc elt astate
-  | Sizeof {typ; subtype} when Subtype.is_cast subtype || Subtype.is_instof subtype ->
-      (* checkcast / instanceof *)
-      load_type proc_desc tenv loc typ astate
   | Cast (_, e) | UnOp (_, e, _) | Exn e ->
       (* NB Cast is only used for primitive types *)
       add_loads_of_exp proc_desc tenv loc e astate
@@ -88,12 +85,21 @@ let rec add_loads_of_exp proc_desc tenv loc (exp : Exp.t) astate =
       astate
 
 
-let exec_instr pdesc tenv astate _ (instr : Sil.instr) =
-  match instr with
-  | Call (_, Const (Cfun callee), args, loc, _) ->
+let exec_call pdesc tenv callee args loc astate =
+  match args with
+  | [_; (Exp.Sizeof {typ}, _)] when Typ.Procname.equal callee BuiltinDecl.__instanceof ->
+      (* this matches downcasts/instanceof and exception handlers *)
+      load_type pdesc tenv loc typ astate
+  | _ ->
       (* invokeinterface / invokespecial / invokestatic / invokevirtual / new *)
       List.fold args ~init:astate ~f:(fun acc (exp, _) -> add_loads_of_exp pdesc tenv loc exp acc)
       |> do_call pdesc callee loc
+
+
+let exec_instr pdesc tenv astate _ (instr : Sil.instr) =
+  match instr with
+  | Call (_, Const (Cfun callee), args, loc, _) ->
+      exec_call pdesc tenv callee args loc astate
   | Load (_, exp, _, loc) | Prune (exp, loc, _, _) ->
       (* NB the java frontend seems to always translate complex guards into a sequence of 
          instructions plus a prune on logical vars only.  So the below is only for completeness. *)
diff --git a/infer/tests/codetoanalyze/java/classloads/Catch.java b/infer/tests/codetoanalyze/java/classloads/Catch.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f749cb33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/infer/tests/codetoanalyze/java/classloads/Catch.java
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2018-present, Facebook, Inc.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+ */
+
+class Catch {
+  public static void main(String args[]) {
+    try {
+      foo();
+    } catch (CatchA a) {
+    }
+  }
+
+  static void foo() throws CatchA {}
+}
+
+class CatchA extends Exception {
+  static final long serialVersionUID = 0L;
+}