diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Compiler/AutowirePass.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Compiler/AutowirePass.php
index c299537755..1a20831e89 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Compiler/AutowirePass.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Compiler/AutowirePass.php
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class AutowirePass implements CompilerPassInterface
                 // Typehint against a non-existing class
 
                 if (!$parameter->isDefaultValueAvailable()) {
-                    continue;
+                    throw new RuntimeException(sprintf('Cannot autowire argument %s for %s because the type-hinted class does not exist (%s).', $index + 1, $definition->getClass(), $reflectionException->getMessage()), 0, $reflectionException);
                 }
 
                 $value = $parameter->getDefaultValue();
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Compiler/AutowirePassTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Compiler/AutowirePassTest.php
index 3639a2138f..e5fcdc2853 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Compiler/AutowirePassTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Compiler/AutowirePassTest.php
@@ -201,6 +201,21 @@ class AutowirePassTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 
         $this->assertCount(0, $container->getDefinition('bar')->getArguments());
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Exception\RuntimeException
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage Cannot autowire argument 2 for Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Tests\Compiler\BadTypeHintedArgument because the type-hinted class does not exist (Class Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Tests\Compiler\NotARealClass does not exist).
+     */
+    public function testClassNotFoundThrowsException()
+    {
+        $container = new ContainerBuilder();
+
+        $aDefinition = $container->register('a', __NAMESPACE__.'\BadTypeHintedArgument');
+        $aDefinition->setAutowired(true);
+
+        $pass = new AutowirePass();
+        $pass->process($container);
+    }
 }
 
 class Foo
@@ -298,3 +313,10 @@ class OptionalParameter
     {
     }
 }
+
+class BadTypeHintedArgument
+{
+    public function __construct(Dunglas $k, NotARealClass $r)
+    {
+    }
+}