diff --git a/src/Rules/Comparison/ImpossibleCheckTypeHelper.php b/src/Rules/Comparison/ImpossibleCheckTypeHelper.php
index 13f62f78cb6..ea940bc1bcf 100644
--- a/src/Rules/Comparison/ImpossibleCheckTypeHelper.php
+++ b/src/Rules/Comparison/ImpossibleCheckTypeHelper.php
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 use function implode;
 use function in_array;
 use function is_string;
+use function ltrim;
 use function sprintf;
 use function strtolower;
 
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ private function getSpecifiedType(
 
 					if ($methodType instanceof ConstantStringType) {
 						if ($objectType instanceof ConstantStringType) {
-							$objectType = new ObjectType($objectType->getValue());
+							$objectType = new ObjectType(ltrim($objectType->getValue(), '\\'));
 						}
 
 						if ($objectType->getObjectClassNames() !== []) {
diff --git a/src/Type/Constant/ConstantStringType.php b/src/Type/Constant/ConstantStringType.php
index 5994a945569..06971617f27 100644
--- a/src/Type/Constant/ConstantStringType.php
+++ b/src/Type/Constant/ConstantStringType.php
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 use function is_int;
 use function is_numeric;
 use function key;
+use function ltrim;
 use function strlen;
 use function strtolower;
 use function strtoupper;
@@ -76,6 +77,8 @@ class ConstantStringType extends StringType implements ConstantScalarType
 
 	private ?Type $arrayKeyType = null;
 
+	private ?string $valueAsClassName = null;
+
 	/** @var array<int, string> */
 	private array $cachedDescriptions = [];
 
@@ -109,7 +112,7 @@ public function isClassString(): TrinaryLogic
 	public function getClassStringObjectType(): Type
 	{
 		if ($this->isClassString()->yes()) {
-			return new ObjectType($this->value);
+			return new ObjectType($this->getValueAsClassName());
 		}
 
 		return new ErrorType();
@@ -311,22 +314,23 @@ public function toBitwiseNotType(): Type
 
 	public function toObjectTypeForInstanceofCheck(): ClassNameToObjectTypeResult
 	{
-		return new ClassNameToObjectTypeResult(new ObjectType($this->value), false);
+		return new ClassNameToObjectTypeResult(new ObjectType($this->getValueAsClassName()), false);
 	}
 
 	public function toObjectTypeForIsACheck(Type $objectOrClassType, bool $allowString, bool $allowSameClass): ClassNameToObjectTypeResult
 	{
+		$className = $this->getValueAsClassName();
 		$objectOrClassTypeClassNames = $objectOrClassType->getObjectClassNames();
 		if ($allowString) {
 			foreach ($objectOrClassType->getConstantStrings() as $constantString) {
-				$objectOrClassTypeClassNames[] = $constantString->getValue();
+				$objectOrClassTypeClassNames[] = ltrim($constantString->getValue(), '\\');
 			}
 			$objectOrClassTypeClassNames = array_values(array_unique($objectOrClassTypeClassNames));
 		}
 
 		$uncertainty = false;
 		if (!$allowSameClass) {
-			if ($objectOrClassTypeClassNames === [$this->value]) {
+			if ($objectOrClassTypeClassNames === [$className]) {
 				$isSameClass = true;
 				foreach ($objectOrClassType->getObjectClassReflections() as $classReflection) {
 					if (!$classReflection->isFinal()) {
@@ -343,7 +347,7 @@ public function toObjectTypeForIsACheck(Type $objectOrClassType, bool $allowStri
 			if (
 				// For object, as soon as the exact same type is provided
 				// in the list we cannot be sure of the result
-				in_array($this->value, $objectOrClassTypeClassNames, true)
+				in_array($className, $objectOrClassTypeClassNames, true)
 				// This also occurs for generic class string
 				|| ($allowString && $objectOrClassTypeClassNames === [] && $objectOrClassType->isSuperTypeOf($this)->yes())
 			) {
@@ -354,14 +358,14 @@ public function toObjectTypeForIsACheck(Type $objectOrClassType, bool $allowStri
 		if ($allowString) {
 			return new ClassNameToObjectTypeResult(
 				new UnionType([
-					new ObjectType($this->value),
-					new GenericClassStringType(new ObjectType($this->value)),
+					new ObjectType($className),
+					new GenericClassStringType(new ObjectType($className)),
 				]),
 				$uncertainty,
 			);
 		}
 
-		return new ClassNameToObjectTypeResult(new ObjectType($this->value), $uncertainty);
+		return new ClassNameToObjectTypeResult(new ObjectType($className), $uncertainty);
 	}
 
 	public function toAbsoluteNumber(): Type
@@ -642,7 +646,15 @@ public function getConstant(string $constantName): ClassConstantReflection
 
 	private function getObjectType(): ObjectType
 	{
-		return $this->objectType ??= new ObjectType($this->value);
+		return $this->objectType ??= new ObjectType($this->getValueAsClassName());
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The value used as a class name: PHP accepts class names with a leading backslash, but the object types don't have it.
+	 */
+	private function getValueAsClassName(): string
+	{
+		return $this->valueAsClassName ??= ltrim($this->value, '\\');
 	}
 
 	public function toPhpDocNode(): TypeNode
diff --git a/src/Type/Generic/GenericClassStringType.php b/src/Type/Generic/GenericClassStringType.php
index 7fd22cc8ecb..76f43f09021 100644
--- a/src/Type/Generic/GenericClassStringType.php
+++ b/src/Type/Generic/GenericClassStringType.php
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 use PHPStan\Type\UnionType;
 use PHPStan\Type\VerbosityLevel;
 use function count;
+use function ltrim;
 use function sprintf;
 
 /** @api */
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ public function accepts(Type $type, bool $strictTypes): AcceptsResult
 				return AcceptsResult::createNo();
 			}
 
-			$objectType = new ObjectType($type->getValue());
+			$objectType = new ObjectType(ltrim($type->getValue(), '\\'));
 		} elseif ($type instanceof self) {
 			$objectType = $type->type;
 		} elseif ($type instanceof ClassStringType) {
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ public function isSuperTypeOf(Type $type): IsSuperTypeOfResult
 
 			// We are transforming constant class-string to ObjectType. But we need to filter out
 			// an uncertainty originating in possible ObjectType's class subtypes.
-			$objectType = new ObjectType($type->getValue());
+			$objectType = new ObjectType(ltrim($type->getValue(), '\\'));
 
 			// Do not use TemplateType's isSuperTypeOf handling directly because it takes ObjectType
 			// uncertainty into account.
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ public function inferTemplateTypes(Type $receivedType): TemplateTypeMap
 		}
 
 		if ($receivedType instanceof ConstantStringType) {
-			$typeToInfer = new ObjectType($receivedType->getValue());
+			$typeToInfer = new ObjectType(ltrim($receivedType->getValue(), '\\'));
 		} elseif ($receivedType instanceof self) {
 			$typeToInfer = $receivedType->type;
 		} elseif ($receivedType->isClassString()->yes()) {
@@ -242,12 +243,12 @@ public function tryRemove(Type $typeToRemove): ?Type
 			if (count($genericObjectClassNames) === 1) {
 				if ($reflectionProvider->hasClass($genericObjectClassNames[0])) {
 					$classReflection = $reflectionProvider->getClass($genericObjectClassNames[0]);
-					if ($classReflection->isFinal() && $genericObjectClassNames[0] === $typeToRemove->getValue()) {
+					if ($classReflection->isFinal() && $genericObjectClassNames[0] === ltrim($typeToRemove->getValue(), '\\')) {
 						return new NeverType();
 					}
 
 					if ($classReflection->getAllowedSubTypes() !== null) {
-						$objectTypeToRemove = new ObjectType($typeToRemove->getValue());
+						$objectTypeToRemove = new ObjectType(ltrim($typeToRemove->getValue(), '\\'));
 						$remainingType = TypeCombinator::remove($generic, $objectTypeToRemove);
 						if ($remainingType instanceof NeverType) {
 							return new NeverType();
@@ -259,7 +260,7 @@ public function tryRemove(Type $typeToRemove): ?Type
 					}
 				}
 			} elseif (count($genericObjectClassNames) > 1) {
-				$objectTypeToRemove = new ObjectType($typeToRemove->getValue());
+				$objectTypeToRemove = new ObjectType(ltrim($typeToRemove->getValue(), '\\'));
 				if ($reflectionProvider->hasClass($typeToRemove->getValue())) {
 					$classReflection = $reflectionProvider->getClass($typeToRemove->getValue());
 					if ($classReflection->isFinal()) {
diff --git a/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/nsrt/class-string-leading-backslash.php b/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/nsrt/class-string-leading-backslash.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..204d916d79e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/nsrt/class-string-leading-backslash.php
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+<?php declare(strict_types = 1);
+
+namespace ClassStringLeadingBackslash;
+
+use function PHPStan\Testing\assertType;
+
+class Foo
+{
+
+}
+
+final class FinalFoo
+{
+
+}
+
+/**
+ * @template T of object
+ * @param class-string<T> $className
+ * @return T
+ */
+function create(string $className): object
+{
+	return new $className();
+}
+
+function (): void {
+	assertType('ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo', create(Foo::class));
+	assertType('ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo', create('ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo'));
+	assertType('ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo', create('\ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo'));
+};
+
+function (object $object): void {
+	$className = '\ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo';
+	assertType('ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo', new $className());
+
+	if ($object instanceof $className) {
+		assertType('ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo', $object);
+	}
+};
+
+function (object $object): void {
+	if (is_a($object, '\ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo')) {
+		assertType('ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo', $object);
+	}
+};
+
+function (string $className): void {
+	if (is_a($className, '\ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo', true)) {
+		assertType('class-string<ClassStringLeadingBackslash\Foo>', $className);
+	}
+};
+
+/**
+ * @param class-string<FinalFoo> $className
+ */
+function removeWithoutLeadingBackslash(string $className): void
+{
+	if ($className !== 'ClassStringLeadingBackslash\FinalFoo') {
+		assertType('*NEVER*', $className);
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * @param class-string<FinalFoo> $className
+ */
+function removeWithLeadingBackslash(string $className): void
+{
+	if ($className !== '\ClassStringLeadingBackslash\FinalFoo') {
+		assertType('*NEVER*', $className);
+	}
+}