diff --git a/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/Quarkus.java b/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/Quarkus.java
index d58d2641dc2c2..dc54e1fdcf309 100644
--- a/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/Quarkus.java
+++ b/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/Quarkus.java
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 import java.io.Closeable;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.invoke.MethodHandle;
+import java.lang.invoke.MethodHandles;
+import java.lang.invoke.MethodType;
+import java.lang.reflect.UndeclaredThrowableException;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.function.BiConsumer;
 
@@ -67,18 +71,17 @@ public static void run(Class<? extends QuarkusApplication> quarkusApplication, B
             //we already have an application, run it directly
             Class<? extends Application> appClass = (Class<? extends Application>) Class.forName(Application.APP_CLASS_NAME,
                     false, Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader());
-            Application application = appClass.getDeclaredConstructor().newInstance();
+            MethodHandle constructor = MethodHandles.lookup().findConstructor(appClass, MethodType.methodType(void.class));
+            Application application = (Application) constructor.invoke();
             ApplicationLifecycleManager.run(application, quarkusApplication, exitHandler, args);
             return;
         } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
             //ignore, this happens when running in dev mode
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            if (exitHandler != null) {
-                exitHandler.accept(1, e);
-            } else {
-                Logger.getLogger(Quarkus.class).error("Error running Quarkus", e);
-                ApplicationLifecycleManager.getDefaultExitCodeHandler().accept(1, e);
-            }
+        } catch (RuntimeException | Error e) {
+            handleReflectiveInvocationIssue(exitHandler, e);
+            return;
+        } catch (Throwable t) {
+            handleReflectiveInvocationIssue(exitHandler, new UndeclaredThrowableException(t));
             return;
         }
 
@@ -89,6 +92,15 @@ public static void run(Class<? extends QuarkusApplication> quarkusApplication, B
 
     }
 
+    private static void handleReflectiveInvocationIssue(BiConsumer<Integer, Throwable> exitHandler, Throwable t) {
+        if (exitHandler != null) {
+            exitHandler.accept(1, t);
+        } else {
+            Logger.getLogger(Quarkus.class).error("Error running Quarkus", t);
+            ApplicationLifecycleManager.getDefaultExitCodeHandler().accept(1, t);
+        }
+    }
+
     private static void launchFromIDE(Class<? extends QuarkusApplication> quarkusApplication, String... args) {
         //some trickery, get the class that has invoked us, and use this to figure out the
         //classes root