diff --git a/locator/abstract_replication_strategy.cc b/locator/abstract_replication_strategy.cc
index 3be6107704..5344a3be17 100644
--- a/locator/abstract_replication_strategy.cc
+++ b/locator/abstract_replication_strategy.cc
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ abstract_replication_strategy::abstract_replication_strategy(const sstring& ks_n
        _ks_name(ks_name),  _config_options(config_options), _token_metadata(token_metadata), _snitch(snitch)  {}
 
 std::unique_ptr<abstract_replication_strategy> abstract_replication_strategy::create_replication_strategy(const sstring& ks_name, const sstring& strategy_name, token_metadata& tk_metadata, i_endpoint_snitch& snitch, std::unordered_map<sstring, sstring>& config_options) {
-    return create_object<abstract_replication_strategy>(strategy_name, ks_name, tk_metadata, snitch, config_options);
+    sstring class_name = strategy_name.find(".") != sstring::npos ? strategy_name : "org.apache.cassandra.locator." + strategy_name;
+    return create_object<abstract_replication_strategy>(class_name, ks_name, tk_metadata, snitch, config_options);
 }
 
 std::vector<inet_address> abstract_replication_strategy::get_natural_endpoints(const token& search_token) {
diff --git a/tests/urchin/cql_query_test.cc b/tests/urchin/cql_query_test.cc
index 82c91e939e..76d6b95bee 100644
--- a/tests/urchin/cql_query_test.cc
+++ b/tests/urchin/cql_query_test.cc
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_create_keyspace_statement) {
     return do_with_cql_env([] (auto& e) {
-        return e.execute_cql("create keyspace ks2 with replication = { 'class' : 'org.apache.cassandra.locator.SimpleStrategy', 'replication_factor' : 1 };").discard_result().then([&e] {
+        return e.execute_cql("create keyspace ks2 with replication = { 'class' : 'SimpleStrategy', 'replication_factor' : 1 };").discard_result().then([&e] {
             return e.require_keyspace_exists("ks2");
         });
     });