diff --git a/core/pom.xml b/core/pom.xml
index f39ad06d98..14c82a044c 100644
--- a/core/pom.xml
+++ b/core/pom.xml
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 <!--
 The MIT License
 
-Copyright (c) 2004-2009, Sun Microsystems, Inc., Kohsuke Kawaguchi, Daniel Dyer, Erik Ramfelt, Stephen Connolly, Tom Huybrechts
+Copyright (c) 2004-2010, Sun Microsystems, Inc., Kohsuke Kawaguchi,
+Daniel Dyer, Erik Ramfelt, Stephen Connolly, Tom Huybrechts, Alan Harder
 
 Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
 of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
@@ -396,7 +397,7 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.jvnet.hudson</groupId>
       <artifactId>xstream</artifactId>
-      <version>1.3.1-hudson-5</version>
+      <version>1.3.1-hudson-6</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>jfree</groupId>
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/XStream2.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/XStream2.java
index e1a4f52c73..0c5d9afe08 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/XStream2.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/XStream2.java
@@ -70,20 +70,23 @@ public class XStream2 extends XStream {
         return super.unmarshal(reader,root,dataHolder);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    protected Converter createDefaultConverter() {
+        // replace default reflection converter
+        return new RobustReflectionConverter(getMapper(),new JVM().bestReflectionProvider());
+    }
+
     private void init() {
-        // list up types that should be marshalled out like a value, without referencial integrity tracking. 
+        // list up types that should be marshalled out like a value, without referencial integrity tracking.
         addImmutableType(Result.class);
 
         registerConverter(new RobustCollectionConverter(getMapper(),getReflectionProvider()),10);
         registerConverter(new CopyOnWriteMap.Tree.ConverterImpl(getMapper()),10); // needs to override MapConverter
-        registerConverter(new DescribableList.ConverterImpl(getMapper()),10); // explicitly added to handle subtypes 
+        registerConverter(new DescribableList.ConverterImpl(getMapper()),10); // explicitly added to handle subtypes
 
         // this should come after all the XStream's default simpler converters,
         // but before reflection-based one kicks in.
         registerConverter(new AssociatedConverterImpl(this),-10);
-
-        // replace default reflection converter
-        registerConverter(new RobustReflectionConverter(getMapper(),new JVM().bestReflectionProvider()),-19);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/hudson/util/XStream2Test.java b/core/src/test/java/hudson/util/XStream2Test.java
index 4a996f220c..4a50544d59 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/hudson/util/XStream2Test.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/hudson/util/XStream2Test.java
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import hudson.model.Result;
 import hudson.model.Run;
 
 /**
- *
+ * Tests for XML serialization of java objects.
  * @author Kohsuke Kawaguchi, Mike Dillon, Alan Harder
  */
 public class XStream2Test extends TestCase {
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ public class XStream2Test extends TestCase {
 
     /**
      * Test marshal/unmarshal round trip for class/field names with _ and $ characters.
+     * (HUDSON-5768)
      */
     public void testXmlRoundTrip() {
         XStream2 xs = new XStream2();
@@ -81,4 +82,34 @@ public class XStream2Test extends TestCase {
         assertEquals(xml, b.$dollar, b2.$dollar);
         assertEquals(xml, b.dollar$2, b2.dollar$2);
     }
+
+    private static class Baz {
+        private Exception myFailure;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Verify RobustReflectionConverter can handle missing fields in a class extending
+     * Throwable/Exception (default ThrowableConverter registered by XStream calls
+     * ReflectionConverter directly, rather than our RobustReflectionConverter replacement).
+     * (HUDSON-5769)
+     */
+    public void testUnmarshalThrowableMissingField() {
+        Baz baz = new Baz();
+        baz.myFailure = new Exception("foo");
+
+        XStream2 xs = new XStream2();
+        String xml = xs.toXML(baz);
+        baz = (Baz)xs.fromXML(xml);
+        assertEquals("foo", baz.myFailure.getMessage());
+
+        baz = (Baz)xs.fromXML("<hudson.util.XStream2Test_-Baz><myFailure>"
+                + "<missingField>true</missingField>"
+                + "<detailMessage>hoho</detailMessage>"
+                + "<stackTrace><trace>"
+                + "hudson.util.XStream2Test.testUnmarshalThrowableMissingField(XStream2Test.java:97)"
+                + "</trace></stackTrace>"
+                + "</myFailure></hudson.util.XStream2Test_-Baz>");
+        // Object should load, despite "missingField" in XML above
+        assertEquals("hoho", baz.myFailure.getMessage());
+    }
 }