diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SymDenotations.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SymDenotations.scala
index a1752ccc0976..89f79c1401cb 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SymDenotations.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SymDenotations.scala
@@ -1626,7 +1626,7 @@ object SymDenotations {
           // is defined in the same scope as `cls` or in the companion object of `cls`.
           completeChildrenIn(owner)
           completeChildrenIn(companionClass)
-          setFlag(ChildrenQueried)
+          if isType then setFlag(ChildrenQueried)
 
       annotations.collect { case Annotation.Child(child) => child }.reverse
     end children
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SealedDescendantsTest.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SealedDescendantsTest.scala
index 0ae9069c03d1..b3a7a3941a3f 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SealedDescendantsTest.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SealedDescendantsTest.scala
@@ -91,6 +91,20 @@ class SealedDescendantsTest extends DottyTest {
     )
   end hierarchicalSharedChildrenB
 
+  @Test
+  def javaEnum_i15908: Unit =
+    val source = """package testsealeddescendants"""
+    checkCompile("typer", source) { (_, context) =>
+      given Context = context
+      val cls = requiredClass("java.nio.file.AccessMode")
+
+      assertEquals(
+        List("val READ", "val WRITE", "val EXECUTE"),
+        cls.sealedStrictDescendants.map(_.toString)
+      )
+    }
+  end javaEnum_i15908
+
   def expectedDescendents(source: String, root: String, expected: List[String]) =
     exploreRoot(source, root) { rootCls =>
       val descendents = rootCls.sealedDescendants.map(sym => s"${sym.name}${if (sym.isTerm) ".type" else ""}")