diff --git a/src/plugins/cppeditor/cpptypehierarchy.cpp b/src/plugins/cppeditor/cpptypehierarchy.cpp
index 0b3198d4c9f..ad581602f07 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cppeditor/cpptypehierarchy.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cppeditor/cpptypehierarchy.cpp
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ void CppTypeHierarchyWidget::perform()
     if (evaluator.identifiedCppElement()) {
         const QSharedPointer<CppElement> &cppElement = evaluator.cppElement();
         CppElement *element = cppElement.data();
-        if (CppClass *cppClass = dynamic_cast<CppClass *>(element)) {
+        if (CppClass *cppClass = element->toCppClass()) {
             m_inspectedClass->setText(cppClass->name);
             m_inspectedClass->setLink(cppClass->link);
             QStandardItem *bases = new QStandardItem(tr("Bases"));
diff --git a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppelementevaluator.cpp b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppelementevaluator.cpp
index df9ebefa3da..513926802b7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppelementevaluator.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppelementevaluator.cpp
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ CppElement::CppElement() : helpCategory(TextEditor::HelpItem::Unknown)
 CppElement::~CppElement()
 {}
 
+CppClass *CppElement::toCppClass()
+{
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
 class Unknown : public CppElement
 {
 public:
@@ -156,6 +161,11 @@ bool CppClass::operator==(const CppClass &other)
     return this->declaration == other.declaration;
 }
 
+CppClass *CppClass::toCppClass()
+{
+    return this;
+}
+
 void CppClass::lookupBases(Symbol *declaration, const LookupContext &context)
 {
     typedef QPair<ClassOrNamespace *, CppClass *> Data;
diff --git a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppelementevaluator.h b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppelementevaluator.h
index 0755bd3004e..0bececefaf4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppelementevaluator.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppelementevaluator.h
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ private:
     QString m_diagnosis;
 };
 
+class CppClass;
+
 class CPPTOOLS_EXPORT CppElement
 {
 protected:
@@ -89,6 +91,8 @@ protected:
 public:
     virtual ~CppElement();
 
+    virtual CppClass *toCppClass();
+
     TextEditor::HelpItem::Category helpCategory;
     QStringList helpIdCandidates;
     QString helpMark;
@@ -96,7 +100,7 @@ public:
     QString tooltip;
 };
 
-class CppDeclarableElement : public CppElement
+class CPPTOOLS_EXPORT CppDeclarableElement : public CppElement
 {
 public:
     explicit CppDeclarableElement(CPlusPlus::Symbol *declaration);
@@ -109,7 +113,7 @@ public:
     QIcon icon;
 };
 
-class CppClass : public CppDeclarableElement
+class CPPTOOLS_EXPORT CppClass : public CppDeclarableElement
 {
 public:
     CppClass();
@@ -117,6 +121,8 @@ public:
 
     bool operator==(const CppClass &other);
 
+    CppClass *toCppClass() final;
+
     void lookupBases(CPlusPlus::Symbol *declaration, const CPlusPlus::LookupContext &context);
     void lookupDerived(CPlusPlus::Symbol *declaration, const CPlusPlus::Snapshot &snapshot);