diff --git a/blackbird/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/blackbird/util/ReflectionHack.java b/blackbird/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/blackbird/util/ReflectionHack.java
index 53015780..eb0f9e97 100644
--- a/blackbird/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/blackbird/util/ReflectionHack.java
+++ b/blackbird/src/main/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/blackbird/util/ReflectionHack.java
@@ -52,7 +52,13 @@ private static MethodHandle init() {
         }
 
         public static Lookup privateLookupIn(Class<?> lookup, Lookup orig) {
-            return Unchecked.supplier(() -> (Lookup) FACTORY.invokeExact(lookup, orig)).get();
+            try {
+                return (Lookup) FACTORY.invokeExact(lookup, orig);
+            } catch (ReflectiveOperationException e) {
+                return orig;
+            } catch (Throwable t) {
+                throw Sneaky.throwAnyway(t);
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/blackbird/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/blackbird/TestAccessFallback.java b/blackbird/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/blackbird/TestAccessFallback.java
index 52bb280b..8246975e 100644
--- a/blackbird/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/blackbird/TestAccessFallback.java
+++ b/blackbird/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/module/blackbird/TestAccessFallback.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package com.fasterxml.jackson.module.blackbird;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.Proxy;
+
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 
 public class TestAccessFallback extends BlackbirdTestBase
@@ -69,4 +71,19 @@ public void testDeserializeAccess() throws Exception
         MyBean bean2 = abMapper.readValue(BEAN_JSON, MyBean.class);
         assertEquals("a", bean2.getE());
     }
+
+    public void testProxyAccessIssue181() throws Exception {
+        ObjectMapper om = newObjectMapper();
+        String val = om.writeValueAsString(Proxy.newProxyInstance(TestAccessFallback.class.getClassLoader(), new Class<?>[] { Beany.class }, (p, m, a) -> {
+            if (m.getName().equals("getA")) {
+                return 42;
+            }
+            return null;
+        }));
+        assertEquals("{\"a\":42}", val);
+    }
+
+    public interface Beany {
+        int getA();
+    }
 }