diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationOverlayImpl.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationOverlayImpl.java
index 76b2c0bc..5b3c1d43 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationOverlayImpl.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationOverlayImpl.java
@@ -320,22 +320,43 @@ public boolean hasAnnotation(Predicate<AnnotationInstance> predicate) {
         @Override
         public void add(Class<? extends Annotation> annotationClass) {
             Objects.requireNonNull(annotationClass);
-            annotations.add(AnnotationInstance.builder(annotationClass).build());
+            annotations.add(AnnotationInstance.builder(annotationClass).buildWithTarget(declaration));
         }
 
         @Override
         public void add(AnnotationInstance annotation) {
+            if (annotation.target() == null) {
+                annotation = AnnotationInstance.create(annotation, declaration);
+            }
             annotations.add(Objects.requireNonNull(annotation));
         }
 
         @Override
         public void addAll(AnnotationInstance... annotations) {
-            Collections.addAll(this.annotations, Objects.requireNonNull(annotations));
+            Objects.requireNonNull(annotations);
+            for (int i = 0; i < annotations.length; i++) {
+                if (annotations[i].target() == null) {
+                    annotations[i] = AnnotationInstance.create(annotations[i], declaration);
+                }
+            }
+            Collections.addAll(this.annotations, annotations);
         }
 
         @Override
         public void addAll(Collection<AnnotationInstance> annotations) {
-            this.annotations.addAll(Objects.requireNonNull(annotations));
+            Objects.requireNonNull(annotations);
+            if (annotations.stream().anyMatch(it -> it.target() == null)) {
+                List<AnnotationInstance> fixed = new ArrayList<>();
+                for (AnnotationInstance annotation : annotations) {
+                    if (annotation.target() == null) {
+                        fixed.add(AnnotationInstance.create(annotation, declaration));
+                    } else {
+                        fixed.add(annotation);
+                    }
+                }
+                annotations = fixed;
+            }
+            this.annotations.addAll(annotations);
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/AnnotationOverlayTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/AnnotationOverlayTest.java
index ca0602ff..4af83e64 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/AnnotationOverlayTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/AnnotationOverlayTest.java
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ private void assertOverlay(String expectedValues, AnnotationTransformation... tr
                 if (inheritedAnnotations) {
                     assertTrue(overlay.hasAnnotation(clazz, MyInheritedAnnotation.class));
                     assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(clazz, MyInheritedAnnotation.class));
+                    assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(clazz, MyInheritedAnnotation.class).target());
                     assertEquals("i", overlay.annotation(clazz, MyInheritedAnnotation.class).value().asString());
                     assertEquals(1, overlay.annotationsWithRepeatable(clazz, MyInheritedAnnotation.class).size());
                 } else {
@@ -276,20 +277,24 @@ private void assertOverlay(String expectedValues, AnnotationTransformation... tr
 
                 for (Declaration declaration : Arrays.asList(clazz, field, method, parameter1, parameter2)) {
                     if (overlay.hasAnnotation(declaration, MyAnnotation.DOT_NAME)) {
+                        assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyAnnotation.DOT_NAME).target());
                         values.append(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyAnnotation.DOT_NAME).value().asString()).append("_");
                     }
                     if (overlay.hasAnnotation(declaration, MyOtherAnnotation.DOT_NAME)) {
+                        assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyOtherAnnotation.DOT_NAME).target());
                         values.append(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyOtherAnnotation.DOT_NAME).value().asString())
                                 .append("_");
                     }
                     if (declaration != method) {
                         if (overlay.hasAnnotation(declaration, MyRepeatableAnnotation.DOT_NAME)) {
+                            assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyRepeatableAnnotation.DOT_NAME).target());
                             values.append(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyRepeatableAnnotation.DOT_NAME).value().asString())
                                     .append("_");
                         }
                         if (overlay.hasAnnotation(declaration, MyRepeatableAnnotation.List.DOT_NAME)) {
                             AnnotationInstance annotation = overlay.annotation(declaration,
                                     MyRepeatableAnnotation.List.DOT_NAME);
+                            assertNotNull(annotation.target());
                             for (AnnotationInstance nestedAnnotation : annotation.value().asNestedArray()) {
                                 values.append(nestedAnnotation.value().asString()).append("_");
                             }
@@ -297,6 +302,7 @@ private void assertOverlay(String expectedValues, AnnotationTransformation... tr
                     } else { // just to test `annotationsWithRepeatable`, no other reason
                         for (AnnotationInstance annotation : overlay.annotationsWithRepeatable(declaration,
                                 MyRepeatableAnnotation.DOT_NAME)) {
+                            assertNotNull(annotation.target());
                             values.append(annotation.value().asString()).append("_");
                         }
                     }
@@ -308,6 +314,7 @@ private void assertOverlay(String expectedValues, AnnotationTransformation... tr
                     } else {
                         assertTrue(overlay.hasAnnotation(declaration, MyClassRetainedAnnotation.class));
                         assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyClassRetainedAnnotation.class));
+                        assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyClassRetainedAnnotation.class).target());
                         assertEquals(1, overlay.annotationsWithRepeatable(declaration, MyClassRetainedAnnotation.class).size());
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/MutableAnnotationOverlayTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/MutableAnnotationOverlayTest.java
index 8e90c53d..f747115a 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/MutableAnnotationOverlayTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/MutableAnnotationOverlayTest.java
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ private void assertOverlay(String expectedValues, BiConsumer<IndexView, MutableA
                 if (inheritedAnnotations) {
                     assertTrue(overlay.hasAnnotation(clazz, MyInheritedAnnotation.class));
                     assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(clazz, MyInheritedAnnotation.class));
+                    assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(clazz, MyInheritedAnnotation.class).target());
                     assertEquals("i", overlay.annotation(clazz, MyInheritedAnnotation.class).value().asString());
                     assertEquals(1, overlay.annotationsWithRepeatable(clazz, MyInheritedAnnotation.class).size());
                 } else {
@@ -154,20 +155,24 @@ private void assertOverlay(String expectedValues, BiConsumer<IndexView, MutableA
 
                 for (Declaration declaration : Arrays.asList(clazz, field, method, parameter1, parameter2)) {
                     if (overlay.hasAnnotation(declaration, MyAnnotation.DOT_NAME)) {
+                        assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyAnnotation.DOT_NAME).target());
                         values.append(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyAnnotation.DOT_NAME).value().asString()).append("_");
                     }
                     if (overlay.hasAnnotation(declaration, MyOtherAnnotation.DOT_NAME)) {
+                        assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyOtherAnnotation.DOT_NAME).target());
                         values.append(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyOtherAnnotation.DOT_NAME).value().asString())
                                 .append("_");
                     }
                     if (declaration != method) {
                         if (overlay.hasAnnotation(declaration, MyRepeatableAnnotation.DOT_NAME)) {
+                            assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyRepeatableAnnotation.DOT_NAME).target());
                             values.append(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyRepeatableAnnotation.DOT_NAME).value().asString())
                                     .append("_");
                         }
                         if (overlay.hasAnnotation(declaration, MyRepeatableAnnotation.List.DOT_NAME)) {
                             AnnotationInstance annotation = overlay.annotation(declaration,
                                     MyRepeatableAnnotation.List.DOT_NAME);
+                            assertNotNull(annotation.target());
                             for (AnnotationInstance nestedAnnotation : annotation.value().asNestedArray()) {
                                 values.append(nestedAnnotation.value().asString()).append("_");
                             }
@@ -175,6 +180,7 @@ private void assertOverlay(String expectedValues, BiConsumer<IndexView, MutableA
                     } else { // just to test `annotationsWithRepeatable`, no other reason
                         for (AnnotationInstance annotation : overlay.annotationsWithRepeatable(declaration,
                                 MyRepeatableAnnotation.DOT_NAME)) {
+                            assertNotNull(annotation.target());
                             values.append(annotation.value().asString()).append("_");
                         }
                     }
@@ -186,6 +192,7 @@ private void assertOverlay(String expectedValues, BiConsumer<IndexView, MutableA
                     } else {
                         assertTrue(overlay.hasAnnotation(declaration, MyClassRetainedAnnotation.class));
                         assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyClassRetainedAnnotation.class));
+                        assertNotNull(overlay.annotation(declaration, MyClassRetainedAnnotation.class).target());
                         assertEquals(1, overlay.annotationsWithRepeatable(declaration, MyClassRetainedAnnotation.class).size());
                     }
                 }