diff --git a/Mapping/MappingCollection.php b/Mapping/MappingCollection.php
index 01d2573..3f2567d 100644
--- a/Mapping/MappingCollection.php
+++ b/Mapping/MappingCollection.php
@@ -73,12 +73,14 @@ public function findClassByShortNameOrDefault(string $shortClass, string $defaul
             return "Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Models\\$shortClass";
         }
 
+        $classFromMapping = null;
         foreach ($this->mappings as $mapping) {
             if ($mapping->matchesShortName($shortClass)) {
-                return $mapping->getType();
+                $classFromMapping = $mapping->getType();
             }
         }
 
-        return $defaultNamespace . '\\' . $shortClass;
+        $guessedClassName = $defaultNamespace . '\\' . $shortClass;
+        return class_exists($guessedClassName) || $classFromMapping === null ? $guessedClassName : $classFromMapping;
     }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/Fixtures/Models/ChildClass.php b/Tests/Fixtures/Models/ChildClass.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9ba618
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/Fixtures/Models/ChildClass.php
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models;
+
+class ChildClass
+{
+    private string $title = '';
+
+    public function getTitle(): string
+    {
+        return $this->title;
+    }
+
+    public function setTitle(string $title): void
+    {
+        $this->title = $title;
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Tests/Fixtures/Models/DummyClass.php b/Tests/Fixtures/Models/DummyClass.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..249b74d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/Fixtures/Models/DummyClass.php
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models;
+
+class DummyClass
+{
+    private string $name = '';
+
+    private ?ChildClass $childClass = null;
+
+    public function getName(): string
+    {
+        return $this->name;
+    }
+
+    public function setName(string $name): void
+    {
+        $this->name = $name;
+    }
+
+    public function getChildClass(): ?ChildClass
+    {
+        return $this->childClass;
+    }
+
+    public function setChildClass(?ChildClass $childClass): void
+    {
+        $this->childClass = $childClass;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Tests/Fixtures/OtherModels/ChildClass.php b/Tests/Fixtures/OtherModels/ChildClass.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d51496
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/Fixtures/OtherModels/ChildClass.php
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\OtherModels;
+
+class ChildClass
+{
+    private ?string $title = null;
+
+    public function getTitle(): ?string
+    {
+        return $this->title;
+    }
+    
+    public function setTitle(?string $title): void
+    {
+        $this->title = $title;
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Tests/Serializer/JsonLDNormalizerTest.php b/Tests/Serializer/JsonLDNormalizerTest.php
index c8a240e..e2c1abd 100644
--- a/Tests/Serializer/JsonLDNormalizerTest.php
+++ b/Tests/Serializer/JsonLDNormalizerTest.php
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Mapping\MappingEndpoint;
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Serializer\JsonLDEncoder;
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Serializer\JsonLDNormalizer;
+use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models\ChildClass;
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models\CircularChild;
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models\CircularParent;
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models\CircularParentWithId;
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models\ClassWithObjectProperty;
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models\DatedClass;
+use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models\DummyClass;
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models\DynamicArrayClass;
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models\NestedArrayClass;
 use Bookboon\JsonLDClient\Tests\Fixtures\Models\NestedClass;
@@ -430,6 +432,38 @@ public function testClassWithObjectProperty(): void
         $this->assertJsonStringEqualsJsonString($testJson, $serializedJson);
     }
 
+    public function testPrefersClassInOwnNamespaceRatherThanMapping(): void
+    {
+        $dummyClass = new DummyClass;
+        $dummyClass->setName("dummyclass");
+        $childClass = new ChildClass;
+        $childClass->setTitle("childclass");
+
+        $dummyClass->setChildClass($childClass);
+
+        $serializer = SerializerHelper::create([
+            new MappingEndpoint(DummyClass::class, '/api/v1/dummies', [
+                'value' => '@DummyClass'
+            ]),
+            new MappingEndpoint(DummyClass::class, '/api/v1/childclasses', [
+                'value' => '@ChildClass'
+            ])
+        ]);
+        $serializedJson = $serializer->serialize($dummyClass, JsonLDEncoder::FORMAT);
+
+        /** @var DummyClass $dummyClass */
+        $dummyClass = $serializer->deserialize(
+            $serializedJson,
+            '',
+            JsonLDEncoder::FORMAT,
+            $this->getContextWithMapping(ClassWithObjectProperty::class)
+        );
+
+        $childClass = $dummyClass->getChildClass();
+        $this->assertNotNull($childClass);
+        $this->assertEquals('childclass', $childClass->getTitle());
+    }
+
     private function getContextWithMapping(string $className): array
     {
         return [