FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
javac 1.8.0_141

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.10586]

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
The attached program can't find E, which is a class in an interface which extends another interface in the outer class' superclass. JDK 9 and Eclipse compiles this fine.

This seems similar to JDK-7177814, but that relates more to import statements.


STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Compile the attached files.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
The compilation succeeds.
ACTUAL -
Compilation fails.

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
javac -sourcepath src/main/java/ -d bin src/main/java/c/C.java
src\main\java\c\C.java:12: error: cannot find symbol
        public interface D extends B {
                                   ^
  symbol: class B
  location: class C
1 error


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
==== a/A.java ====

package a;

import java.util.EventListener;

public abstract class A {
public interface B extends EventListener {
public void changedEvent(A a);
}
}

==== c/C.java ====

package c;

import c.C.D.E;
import a.A;

public abstract class C extends A {

public void f() {
new E();
}

public interface D extends B {
public static class E {
}
}
}

---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Change "new E()" to "new D.E", and remove "import c.C.D.E".