diff --git a/components/sbm-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/sbm/java/impl/OpenRewriteMethod.java b/components/sbm-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/sbm/java/impl/OpenRewriteMethod.java
index abaa214d1..6b9a80f28 100644
--- a/components/sbm-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/sbm/java/impl/OpenRewriteMethod.java
+++ b/components/sbm-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/sbm/java/impl/OpenRewriteMethod.java
@@ -164,7 +164,12 @@ public Optional<String> getReturnValue() {
             return Optional.empty();
         }
 
-        return Optional.of(TypeUtils.asFullyQualified(returnTypeExpression.getType()).getFullyQualifiedName());
+        JavaType.FullyQualified jfq = TypeUtils.asFullyQualified(returnTypeExpression.getType());
+        if (jfq == null) {
+            return Optional.empty();
+        } else {
+            return Optional.of(jfq.getFullyQualifiedName());
+        }
     }
 
     // FIXME: renaming method should not require a methodPattern in this context
diff --git a/components/sbm-support-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/sbm/boot/common/finder/SpringBeanMethodDeclarationFinderTest.java b/components/sbm-support-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/sbm/boot/common/finder/SpringBeanMethodDeclarationFinderTest.java
index 59ecb8c3f..1f32501ff 100644
--- a/components/sbm-support-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/sbm/boot/common/finder/SpringBeanMethodDeclarationFinderTest.java
+++ b/components/sbm-support-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/sbm/boot/common/finder/SpringBeanMethodDeclarationFinderTest.java
@@ -190,4 +190,32 @@ void someBean() {
         }
     }
 
+    @Nested
+    class WithUnresolvedSymbols {
+        @Test
+        void shouldIgnoreClassesWhenSymbolsCantBeResolved() {
+
+            SpringBeanMethodDeclarationFinder sut
+                    = new SpringBeanMethodDeclarationFinder("a.b.c.HelloWorld");
+            builder.addJavaSource("src/main/java",
+                            """
+                            import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+                            import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
+                            import a.b.c.HelloWorld;
+                            @Configuration
+                            public class MyConfiguration {
+                              @Bean
+                              HelloWorld someBean() {
+                                  return null;
+                              }
+                            }
+                            """
+                    )
+                    .withBuildFileHavingDependencies("org.springframework:spring-context:5.3.22");
+
+
+            List<MatchingMethod> output = builder.build().search(sut);
+            assertThat(output).hasSize(0);
+        }
+    }
 }