diff --git a/java/google/registry/model/index/ForeignKeyIndex.java b/java/google/registry/model/index/ForeignKeyIndex.java
index 49a8f7934..e2fd1675a 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/model/index/ForeignKeyIndex.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/model/index/ForeignKeyIndex.java
@@ -103,7 +103,10 @@ public abstract class ForeignKeyIndex<E extends EppResource> extends BackupGroup
    */
   public static <E extends EppResource> ForeignKeyIndex<E> create(
       E resource, DateTime deletionTime) {
-    ForeignKeyIndex<E> instance = instantiate(RESOURCE_CLASS_TO_FKI_CLASS.get(resource.getClass()));
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    Class<? extends ForeignKeyIndex<E>> fkiClass =
+        (Class<? extends ForeignKeyIndex<E>>) RESOURCE_CLASS_TO_FKI_CLASS.get(resource.getClass());
+    ForeignKeyIndex<E> instance = instantiate(fkiClass);
     instance.topReference = Key.create(resource);
     instance.foreignKey = resource.getForeignKey();
     instance.deletionTime = deletionTime;
diff --git a/java/google/registry/util/TypeUtils.java b/java/google/registry/util/TypeUtils.java
index dc979dc63..86aa0655b 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/util/TypeUtils.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/util/TypeUtils.java
@@ -46,13 +46,12 @@ public class TypeUtils {
     }
   }
 
-  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-  public static <T> T instantiate(Class<?> clazz) {
+  public static <T> T instantiate(Class<? extends T> clazz) {
     checkArgument(Modifier.isPublic(clazz.getModifiers()),
         "AppEngine's custom security manager won't let us reflectively access non-public types");
     try {
-      return (T) clazz.newInstance();
-    } catch (InstantiationException | IllegalAccessException e) {
+      return clazz.getConstructor().newInstance();
+    } catch (ReflectiveOperationException e) {
       throw new RuntimeException(e);
     }
   }