diff --git a/extensions/smallrye-graphql/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/graphql/deployment/SmallRyeGraphQLProcessor.java b/extensions/smallrye-graphql/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/graphql/deployment/SmallRyeGraphQLProcessor.java
index f63ee7467a648..1c8d9373e90e9 100644
--- a/extensions/smallrye-graphql/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/graphql/deployment/SmallRyeGraphQLProcessor.java
+++ b/extensions/smallrye-graphql/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/smallrye/graphql/deployment/SmallRyeGraphQLProcessor.java
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 package io.quarkus.smallrye.graphql.deployment;
 
-import static io.smallrye.graphql.schema.helper.TypeAutoNameStrategy.valueOf;
-
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
@@ -34,6 +32,7 @@
 import io.quarkus.arc.deployment.BeanDefiningAnnotationBuildItem;
 import io.quarkus.arc.deployment.UnremovableBeanBuildItem;
 import io.quarkus.arc.processor.BuiltinScope;
+import io.quarkus.bootstrap.classloading.QuarkusClassLoader;
 import io.quarkus.deployment.Capabilities;
 import io.quarkus.deployment.Capability;
 import io.quarkus.deployment.Feature;
@@ -43,6 +42,7 @@
 import io.quarkus.deployment.annotations.Consume;
 import io.quarkus.deployment.annotations.ExecutionTime;
 import io.quarkus.deployment.annotations.Record;
+import io.quarkus.deployment.builditem.AdditionalIndexedClassesBuildItem;
 import io.quarkus.deployment.builditem.CombinedIndexBuildItem;
 import io.quarkus.deployment.builditem.FeatureBuildItem;
 import io.quarkus.deployment.builditem.HotDeploymentWatchedFileBuildItem;
@@ -868,6 +868,18 @@ void registerGraphQLUiHandler(
         }
     }
 
+    @BuildStep
+    void indexPanacheClasses(BuildProducer<AdditionalIndexedClassesBuildItem> additionalIndexedClasses) {
+        // so that they can be used in SmallRye GraphQL queries
+        if (QuarkusClassLoader.isClassPresentAtRuntime("io.quarkus.panache.common.Sort$Direction")) {
+            additionalIndexedClasses.produce(new AdditionalIndexedClassesBuildItem("io.quarkus.panache.common.Sort$Direction"));
+        }
+        if (QuarkusClassLoader.isClassPresentAtRuntime("io.quarkus.panache.common.Sort$NullPrecedence")) {
+            additionalIndexedClasses
+                    .produce(new AdditionalIndexedClassesBuildItem("io.quarkus.panache.common.Sort$NullPrecedence"));
+        }
+    }
+
     // In dev mode, when you click on the logo, you should go to Dev UI
     private String getLogoUrl(LaunchModeBuildItem launchMode, String devUIValue, String defaultValue) {
         if (launchMode.getLaunchMode().equals(LaunchMode.DEVELOPMENT)) {