diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/AbstractJodaTypeToStringConversion.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/AbstractJodaTypeToStringConversion.java
index 2584ce0e6..846529b8b 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/AbstractJodaTypeToStringConversion.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/AbstractJodaTypeToStringConversion.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractJodaTypeToStringConversion extends SimpleConversio
     @Override
     protected Set<Type> getToConversionImportTypes(ConversionContext conversionContext) {
         return asSet(
-            conversionContext.getTypeFactory().getType( dateTimeFormatClass() ),
+            conversionContext.getTypeFactory().getType( JodaTimeConstants.DATE_TIME_FORMAT_FQN ),
             conversionContext.getTypeFactory().getType( Locale.class )
         );
     }
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractJodaTypeToStringConversion extends SimpleConversio
 
     @Override
     protected Set<Type> getFromConversionImportTypes(ConversionContext conversionContext) {
-        return asSet( conversionContext.getTypeFactory().getType( dateTimeFormatClass() ) );
+        return asSet( conversionContext.getTypeFactory().getType( JodaTimeConstants.DATE_TIME_FORMAT_FQN ) );
     }
 
     private String conversionString(ConversionContext conversionContext, String method) {
@@ -90,14 +90,4 @@ public abstract class AbstractJodaTypeToStringConversion extends SimpleConversio
     protected abstract String formatStyle();
 
     protected abstract String parseMethod();
-
-    private Class dateTimeFormatClass() {
-        try {
-            return Class.forName( "org.joda.time.format.DateTimeFormat" );
-        }
-        catch ( ClassNotFoundException e ) {
-            throw new RuntimeException( "org.joda.time.format.DateTimeFormat not found on classpath" );
-        }
-    }
-
 }
diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/Conversions.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/Conversions.java
index 66cad9dee..e89746669 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/Conversions.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/Conversions.java
@@ -18,21 +18,20 @@
  */
 package org.mapstruct.ap.conversion;
 
-import static org.mapstruct.ap.conversion.ReverseConversion.reverse;
-
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.math.BigInteger;
 import java.util.Calendar;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
-
 import javax.lang.model.util.Elements;
 
 import org.mapstruct.ap.model.common.Type;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.model.common.TypeFactory;
 import org.mapstruct.ap.util.NativeTypes;
 
+import static org.mapstruct.ap.conversion.ReverseConversion.reverse;
+
 /**
  * Holds built-in {@link ConversionProvider}s such as from {@code int} to {@code String}.
  *
@@ -189,82 +188,61 @@ public class Conversions {
     }
 
     private void registerJoda() {
-        if ( isJodaTimeAvailable() ) {
-            // joda to string
-            tryRegisterClassByName(
-                JodaTimeConstants.DATE_TIME_FQN,
-                String.class,
-                new JodaDateTimeToStringConversion()
-            );
-            tryRegisterClassByName(
-                JodaTimeConstants.LOCAL_DATE_FQN,
-                String.class,
-                new JodaLocalDateToStringConversion()
-            );
-            tryRegisterClassByName(
-                JodaTimeConstants.LOCAL_DATE_TIME_FQN,
-                String.class,
-                new JodaLocalDateTimeToStringConversion()
-            );
-            tryRegisterClassByName(
-                JodaTimeConstants.LOCAL_TIME_FQN,
-                String.class,
-                new JodaLocalTimeToStringConversion()
-            );
-
-            // joda to date
-            tryRegisterClassByName(
-                JodaTimeConstants.DATE_TIME_FQN,
-                Date.class,
-                new JodaTimeToDateConversion()
-            );
-            tryRegisterClassByName(
-                JodaTimeConstants.LOCAL_DATE_FQN,
-                Date.class,
-                new JodaTimeToDateConversion()
-            );
-            tryRegisterClassByName(
-                JodaTimeConstants.LOCAL_DATE_TIME_FQN,
-                Date.class,
-                new JodaTimeToDateConversion()
-            );
-
-            tryRegisterClassByName(
-                JodaTimeConstants.DATE_TIME_FQN,
-                Calendar.class,
-                new JodaTimeToCalendarConversion()
-            );
+        if ( !isJodaTimeAvailable() ) {
+            return;
         }
+
+        // Joda to String
+        register(
+            getClass( JodaTimeConstants.DATE_TIME_FQN ),
+            String.class,
+            new JodaDateTimeToStringConversion()
+        );
+        register(
+            getClass( JodaTimeConstants.LOCAL_DATE_FQN ),
+            String.class,
+            new JodaLocalDateToStringConversion()
+        );
+        register(
+            getClass( JodaTimeConstants.LOCAL_DATE_TIME_FQN ),
+            String.class,
+            new JodaLocalDateTimeToStringConversion()
+        );
+        register(
+            getClass( JodaTimeConstants.LOCAL_TIME_FQN ),
+            String.class,
+            new JodaLocalTimeToStringConversion()
+        );
+
+        // Joda to Date
+        register(
+            getClass( JodaTimeConstants.DATE_TIME_FQN ),
+            Date.class,
+            new JodaTimeToDateConversion()
+        );
+        register(
+            getClass( JodaTimeConstants.LOCAL_DATE_FQN ),
+            Date.class,
+            new JodaTimeToDateConversion()
+        );
+        register(
+            getClass( JodaTimeConstants.LOCAL_DATE_TIME_FQN ),
+            Date.class,
+            new JodaTimeToDateConversion()
+        );
+
+        // Joda to Calendar
+        register(
+            getClass( JodaTimeConstants.DATE_TIME_FQN ),
+            Calendar.class,
+            new JodaTimeToCalendarConversion()
+        );
     }
 
     private static boolean isJodaTimeAvailable() {
         return NativeTypes.isTypeAvailable( JodaTimeConstants.DATE_TIME_FQN );
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Invokes
-     * <ol>
-     * <li>{@link Class#forName(String)} </li>
-     * <li>{@link org.mapstruct.ap.conversion.Conversions#register(Class, Class, ConversionProvider)} </li>
-     * </ol>
-     * with the instance returned from 1.
-     *
-     * @param fullQualifiedClassName Name of type that should be reigstered
-     * @param target Target for {@link Conversions#register(Class, Class, ConversionProvider)}
-     * @param conversionProvider conversionProvider for
-     * {@link Conversions#register(Class, Class, ConversionProvider)}
-     */
-    private void tryRegisterClassByName(String fullQualifiedClassName, Class<?> target,
-                                        ConversionProvider conversionProvider) {
-        try {
-            Class<?> classByName = Class.forName( fullQualifiedClassName );
-            register( classByName, target, conversionProvider );
-        }
-        catch ( ClassNotFoundException e ) {
-            throw new RuntimeException( e ); // rethrow exception?
-        }
-    }
-
     private void registerNativeTypeConversion(Class<?> sourceType, Class<?> targetType) {
         if ( sourceType.isPrimitive() && targetType.isPrimitive() ) {
             register( sourceType, targetType, new PrimitiveToPrimitiveConversion( sourceType ) );
@@ -330,6 +308,15 @@ public class Conversions {
         return new Key( sourceType, targetType );
     }
 
+    private Class<?> getClass(String fullyQualifiedName) {
+        try {
+            return Conversions.class.getClassLoader().loadClass( fullyQualifiedName );
+        }
+        catch ( ClassNotFoundException e ) {
+            throw new RuntimeException( "Couldn't load class: " + fullyQualifiedName, e );
+        }
+    }
+
     private static class Key {
         private final Type sourceType;
         private final Type targetType;
diff --git a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/JodaTimeConstants.java b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/JodaTimeConstants.java
index fbe6b8f59..7001aacb2 100644
--- a/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/JodaTimeConstants.java
+++ b/processor/src/main/java/org/mapstruct/ap/conversion/JodaTimeConstants.java
@@ -34,5 +34,7 @@ public final class JodaTimeConstants {
 
     public static final String LOCAL_TIME_FQN = "org.joda.time.LocalTime";
 
+    public static final String DATE_TIME_FORMAT_FQN = "org.joda.time.format.DateTimeFormat";
+
     public static final String DATE_TIME_FORMAT = "LL";
 }