diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/ClassUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/ClassUtils.java
index 5270bee276e..db4d4510b5a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/ClassUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/ClassUtils.java
@@ -496,8 +496,8 @@ private static String getCanonicalName(final String name) {
         className = className.substring(dim);
         if (className.startsWith("L")) {
             className = className.substring(1, className.endsWith(";") ? className.length() - 1 : className.length());
-        } else if (!className.isEmpty()) {
-            className = reverseAbbreviationMap.get(className.substring(0, 1));
+        } else if (className.length() == 1 && reverseAbbreviationMap.containsKey(className)) {
+            className = reverseAbbreviationMap.get(className);
         }
         final StringBuilder canonicalClassNameBuffer = new StringBuilder(className.length() + dim * 2);
         canonicalClassNameBuffer.append(className);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/ClassUtilsTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/ClassUtilsTest.java
index b2173beb779..71cde379ebc 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/ClassUtilsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/ClassUtilsTest.java
@@ -237,6 +237,15 @@ public void test_getAllSuperclasses_Class() {
         assertNull(ClassUtils.getAllSuperclasses(null));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void test_getShortCanonicalName_MalformedInput() {
+        assertEquals("String[]", ClassUtils.getShortCanonicalName("[String"));
+    }
+    @Test
+    public void test_getShortCanonicalName_MissingSemicolon() {
+        assertEquals("String[]", ClassUtils.getShortCanonicalName("[LString"));
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void test_getCanonicalName_Class() {
         assertEquals("org.apache.commons.lang3.ClassUtils", ClassUtils.getCanonicalName(ClassUtils.class));