A system and method are described for performing efficient multi-parent class loading. In one embodiment, a request is received at an initiating class loader. A set of class loaders capable of loading the class is narrowed to a set of candidate class loaders. The narrowing of the set of class loaders is performed based on a previously built data structure. A parent class loader from a previously built array of class loaders is used to load the class if the parent class loader is an element of the set of candidate class loaders.