diff --git a/src/hdmf/build/manager.py b/src/hdmf/build/manager.py
index 5ab13a874..fe0893818 100644
--- a/src/hdmf/build/manager.py
+++ b/src/hdmf/build/manager.py
@@ -384,7 +384,8 @@ def __get_container_type(self, container_name):
             container_type = val.get(container_name)
             if container_type is not None:
                 return container_type
-        if container_type is None:
+        if container_type is None:  # pragma: no cover
+            # this code should never happen after hdmf#322
             raise TypeDoesNotExistError("Type '%s' does not exist." % container_name)
 
     def __get_type(self, spec):
@@ -516,6 +517,9 @@ def get_container_cls(self, **kwargs):
         cls = self.__get_container_cls(namespace, data_type)
         if cls is None:
             spec = self.__ns_catalog.get_spec(namespace, data_type)
+            if isinstance(spec, GroupSpec):
+                self.__resolve_child_container_classes(spec, namespace)
+
             dt_hier = self.__ns_catalog.get_hierarchy(namespace, data_type)
             parent_cls = None
             for t in dt_hier:
@@ -534,7 +538,7 @@ def get_container_cls(self, **kwargs):
                 parent_cls = bases[0]
             if type(parent_cls) is not ExtenderMeta:
                 raise ValueError("parent class %s is not of type ExtenderMeta - %s" % (parent_cls, type(parent_cls)))
-            name = data_type
+
             attr_names = self.__default_mapper_cls.get_attr_names(spec)
             fields = dict()
             for k, field_spec in attr_names.items():
@@ -542,15 +546,25 @@ def get_container_cls(self, **kwargs):
                     fields[k] = field_spec
             try:
                 d = self.__get_cls_dict(parent_cls, fields, spec.name, spec.default_name)
-            except TypeDoesNotExistError as e:
-                name = spec.get('data_type_def', 'Unknown')
+            except TypeDoesNotExistError as e:  # pragma: no cover
+                # this error should never happen after hdmf#322
+                name = spec.data_type_def
+                if name is None:
+                    name = 'Unknown'
                 raise ValueError("Cannot dynamically generate class for type '%s'. " % name
                                  + str(e)
                                  + " Please define that type before defining '%s'." % name)
-            cls = ExtenderMeta(str(name), bases, d)
+            cls = ExtenderMeta(str(data_type), bases, d)
             self.register_container_type(namespace, data_type, cls)
         return cls
 
+    def __resolve_child_container_classes(self, spec, namespace):
+        for child_spec in (spec.groups + spec.datasets):
+            if child_spec.data_type_inc is not None:
+                self.get_container_cls(namespace, child_spec.data_type_inc)
+            elif child_spec.data_type_def is not None:
+                self.get_container_cls(namespace, child_spec.data_type_def)
+
     def __get_container_cls(self, namespace, data_type):
         if namespace not in self.__container_types:
             return None
@@ -781,5 +795,5 @@ def get_builder_name(self, **kwargs):
             return obj_mapper.get_builder_name(container)
 
 
-class TypeDoesNotExistError(Exception):
+class TypeDoesNotExistError(Exception):  # pragma: no cover
     pass
diff --git a/tests/unit/build_tests/test_io_map.py b/tests/unit/build_tests/test_io_map.py
index 13eaa6252..69a60fc3c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/build_tests/test_io_map.py
+++ b/tests/unit/build_tests/test_io_map.py
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ def test_dynamic_container_composition(self):
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             Baz1('My Baz', [1, 2, 3, 4], 'string attribute', 1000, attr3=98.6, attr4=1.0, baz2=bar)
 
-    def test_dynamic_container_composition_wrong_order(self):
+    def test_dynamic_container_composition_reverse_order(self):
         baz_spec2 = GroupSpec('A composition inside', data_type_def='Baz2',
                               data_type_inc=self.bar_spec,
                               attributes=[
@@ -360,10 +360,25 @@ def test_dynamic_container_composition_wrong_order(self):
                               groups=[GroupSpec('A composition inside', data_type_inc='Baz2')])
         self.spec_catalog.register_spec(baz_spec1, 'extension.yaml')
         self.spec_catalog.register_spec(baz_spec2, 'extension.yaml')
+        Baz1 = self.type_map.get_container_cls(CORE_NAMESPACE, 'Baz1')
+        Baz2 = self.type_map.get_container_cls(CORE_NAMESPACE, 'Baz2')
+        Baz1('My Baz', [1, 2, 3, 4], 'string attribute', 1000, attr3=98.6, attr4=1.0,
+             baz2=Baz2('My Baz', [1, 2, 3, 4], 'string attribute', 1000, attr3=98.6, attr4=1.0))
+
+        Bar = self.type_map.get_container_cls(CORE_NAMESPACE, 'Bar')
+        bar = Bar('My Bar', [1, 2, 3, 4], 'string attribute', 1000)
+
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            Baz1('My Baz', [1, 2, 3, 4], 'string attribute', 1000, attr3=98.6, attr4=1.0, baz2=bar)
+
+    def test_dynamic_container_composition_missing_type(self):
+        baz_spec1 = GroupSpec('A composition test outside', data_type_def='Baz1', data_type_inc=self.bar_spec,
+                              attributes=[AttributeSpec('attr3', 'an example float attribute', 'float'),
+                                          AttributeSpec('attr4', 'another example float attribute', 'float')],
+                              groups=[GroupSpec('A composition inside', data_type_inc='Baz2')])
+        self.spec_catalog.register_spec(baz_spec1, 'extension.yaml')
 
-        # Setup all the data we need
-        msg = ("Cannot dynamically generate class for type 'Baz1'. Type 'Baz2' does not exist. "
-               "Please define that type before defining 'Baz1'.")
+        msg = "No specification for 'Baz2' in namespace 'test_core'"
         with self.assertRaisesWith(ValueError, msg):
             self.manager.type_map.get_container_cls(CORE_NAMESPACE, 'Baz1')