diff --git a/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/languages/AbstractCppCodegen.java b/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/languages/AbstractCppCodegen.java
index fc4e37066f8..a82430bb4a4 100644
--- a/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/languages/AbstractCppCodegen.java
+++ b/modules/openapi-generator/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/languages/AbstractCppCodegen.java
@@ -418,13 +418,10 @@ abstract public class AbstractCppCodegen extends DefaultCodegen implements Codeg
                 if( !childPropertyType.equals(childModel.classname) || childPropertyType.equals(parentModel.classname) || !childModel.hasVars ){
                     continue;
                 }
-                for(CodegenProperty p : childModel.vars) {
-                    if(((p.isModel && p.dataType.equals(parentModel.classname)) || (p.isContainer && p.mostInnerItems.baseType.equals(parentModel.classname)))) {
-                        String forwardDecl = "class " + childModel.classname + ";";
-                        if(!forwardDeclarations.contains(forwardDecl)) {
-                            forwardDeclarations.add(forwardDecl);
-                        }
-                    }
+
+                String forwardDecl = "class " + childPropertyType + ";";
+                if(!forwardDeclarations.contains(forwardDecl)) {
+                    forwardDeclarations.add(forwardDecl);
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/samples/client/petstore/cpp-qt/client/PFXPet.h b/samples/client/petstore/cpp-qt/client/PFXPet.h
index b84bfc6d93e..3a5617940e1 100644
--- a/samples/client/petstore/cpp-qt/client/PFXPet.h
+++ b/samples/client/petstore/cpp-qt/client/PFXPet.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 #include "PFXObject.h"
 
 namespace test_namespace {
+class PFXCategory;
+class PFXTag;
 
 class PFXPet : public PFXObject {
 public:
diff --git a/samples/client/petstore/cpp-restsdk/client/include/CppRestPetstoreClient/model/Pet.h b/samples/client/petstore/cpp-restsdk/client/include/CppRestPetstoreClient/model/Pet.h
index 05cd7c31c27..8a329064374 100644
--- a/samples/client/petstore/cpp-restsdk/client/include/CppRestPetstoreClient/model/Pet.h
+++ b/samples/client/petstore/cpp-restsdk/client/include/CppRestPetstoreClient/model/Pet.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ namespace openapitools {
 namespace client {
 namespace model {
 
+class Category;
+class Tag;
 
 /// <summary>
 /// A pet for sale in the pet store