diff --git a/dexlib2/src/main/java/org/jf/dexlib2/dexbacked/DexBackedExceptionHandler.java b/dexlib2/src/main/java/org/jf/dexlib2/dexbacked/DexBackedExceptionHandler.java
index 35b8ab0e..41d49e1d 100644
--- a/dexlib2/src/main/java/org/jf/dexlib2/dexbacked/DexBackedExceptionHandler.java
+++ b/dexlib2/src/main/java/org/jf/dexlib2/dexbacked/DexBackedExceptionHandler.java
@@ -36,9 +36,18 @@ import org.jf.dexlib2.immutable.ImmutableExceptionHandler;
 import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
 
 public class DexBackedExceptionHandler extends ImmutableExceptionHandler {
-    public DexBackedExceptionHandler(@Nonnull DexReader reader) {
+    private DexBackedExceptionHandler(String exceptionType, int handlerCodeOffset) {
         // TODO: verify dalvik doesn't accept an exception handler that points in the middle of an instruction
-        super(reader.getType(reader.readSmallUleb128()), reader.readSmallUleb128());
+        super(exceptionType, handlerCodeOffset);
+    }
+
+    // static factory method, because we can't read from the reader in the correct order while calling super() in the
+    // constructor. ugh.
+    public static DexBackedExceptionHandler createNew(@Nonnull DexReader reader) {
+        int typeId = reader.readSmallUleb128();
+        String exceptionType = reader.getType(typeId);
+        int handlerCodeOffset = reader.readSmallUleb128();
+        return new DexBackedExceptionHandler(exceptionType, handlerCodeOffset);
     }
 
     public static void skipFrom(@Nonnull DexReader reader) {
diff --git a/dexlib2/src/main/java/org/jf/dexlib2/dexbacked/DexBackedTryBlock.java b/dexlib2/src/main/java/org/jf/dexlib2/dexbacked/DexBackedTryBlock.java
index d3f35545..fd5ffb4c 100644
--- a/dexlib2/src/main/java/org/jf/dexlib2/dexbacked/DexBackedTryBlock.java
+++ b/dexlib2/src/main/java/org/jf/dexlib2/dexbacked/DexBackedTryBlock.java
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public class DexBackedTryBlock implements TryBlock {
                 @Nonnull
                 @Override
                 protected ExceptionHandler readItem(@Nonnull DexReader reader, int index) {
-                    return new DexBackedExceptionHandler(reader);
+                    return DexBackedExceptionHandler.createNew(reader);
                 }
 
                 @Override
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public class DexBackedTryBlock implements TryBlock {
                     if (index == sizeWithCatchAll-1) {
                         return new DexBackedCatchAllExceptionHandler(dexReader);
                     } else {
-                        return new DexBackedExceptionHandler(dexReader);
+                        return DexBackedExceptionHandler.createNew(dexReader);
                     }
                 }