diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index ad1436925..70c9f53c0 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Bugs fixed
 * #1922: html search: Upper characters problem in French
 * #4412: Updated jQuery version from 3.1.0 to 3.2.1
 * #4438: math: math with labels with whitespace cause html error
+* #2437: make full reference for classes, aliased with "alias of"
 
 Testing
 --------
diff --git a/sphinx/ext/autodoc.py b/sphinx/ext/autodoc.py
index bd686644c..1ccd74647 100644
--- a/sphinx/ext/autodoc.py
+++ b/sphinx/ext/autodoc.py
@@ -1513,8 +1513,14 @@ class ClassDocumenter(DocstringSignatureMixin, ModuleLevelDocumenter):  # type:
     def add_content(self, more_content, no_docstring=False):
         # type: (Any, bool) -> None
         if self.doc_as_attr:
-            classname = safe_getattr(self.object, '__name__', None)
+            classname = safe_getattr(self.object, '__qualname__', None)
+            if not classname:
+                classname = safe_getattr(self.object, '__name__', None)
             if classname:
+                module = safe_getattr(self.object, '__module__', None)
+                parentmodule = safe_getattr(self.parent, '__module__', None)
+                if module and module != parentmodule:
+                    classname = str(module) + u'.' + str(classname)
                 content = ViewList(
                     [_('alias of :class:`%s`') % classname], source='')
                 ModuleLevelDocumenter.add_content(self, content,
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/autodoc_dummy_bar.py b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/autodoc_dummy_bar.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d79d1691f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/autodoc_dummy_bar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+from bug2437.autodoc_dummy_foo import Foo
+
+class Bar(object):
+    """Dummy class Bar with alias."""
+    my_name = Foo
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/bug2437/__init__.py b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/bug2437/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/bug2437/autodoc_dummy_foo.py b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/bug2437/autodoc_dummy_foo.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b578a2255
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/bug2437/autodoc_dummy_foo.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+class Foo(object):
+    """Dummy class Foo."""
+    pass
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/conf.py b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/conf.py
index 01e6dcc75..9f026eb8d 100644
--- a/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/conf.py
+++ b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/conf.py
@@ -10,3 +10,5 @@ source_suffix = '.rst'
 autodoc_mock_imports = [
     'dummy'
 ]
+
+nitpicky = True
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/contents.rst b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/contents.rst
index b808eafda..ce4302204 100644
--- a/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/contents.rst
+++ b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/contents.rst
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
 
 .. automodule:: autodoc_dummy_module
    :members:
+
+.. automodule:: bug2437.autodoc_dummy_foo
+   :members:
+
+.. automodule:: autodoc_dummy_bar
+   :members:
diff --git a/tests/test_ext_autodoc.py b/tests/test_ext_autodoc.py
index e7057df0f..7a9666792 100644
--- a/tests/test_ext_autodoc.py
+++ b/tests/test_ext_autodoc.py
@@ -22,3 +22,13 @@ def test_autodoc(app, status, warning):
     assert isinstance(content[3], addnodes.desc)
     assert content[3][0].astext() == 'autodoc_dummy_module.test'
     assert content[3][1].astext() == 'Dummy function using dummy.*'
+
+    # issue sphinx-doc/sphinx#2437
+    assert content[11][-1].astext() == """Dummy class Bar with alias.
+
+
+
+my_name
+
+alias of bug2437.autodoc_dummy_foo.Foo"""
+    assert warning.getvalue() == ''