diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 1d523f3fd99..e4cc026a583 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ Bugs fixed
   class
 * #8091: autodoc: AttributeError is raised on documenting an attribute on Python
   3.5.2
+* #8099: autodoc: NameError is raised when target code uses ``TYPE_CHECKING``
 
 Testing
 --------
diff --git a/sphinx/ext/autodoc/__init__.py b/sphinx/ext/autodoc/__init__.py
index f3820f71552..b61a96c8494 100644
--- a/sphinx/ext/autodoc/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/ext/autodoc/__init__.py
@@ -1608,6 +1608,9 @@ def add_directive_header(self, sig: str) -> None:
             # obtain annotation for this data
             try:
                 annotations = get_type_hints(self.parent)
+            except NameError:
+                # Failed to evaluate ForwardRef (maybe TYPE_CHECKING)
+                annotations = safe_getattr(self.parent, '__annotations__', {})
             except TypeError:
                 annotations = {}
             except KeyError:
@@ -1984,6 +1987,9 @@ def add_directive_header(self, sig: str) -> None:
             # obtain type annotation for this attribute
             try:
                 annotations = get_type_hints(self.parent)
+            except NameError:
+                # Failed to evaluate ForwardRef (maybe TYPE_CHECKING)
+                annotations = safe_getattr(self.parent, '__annotations__', {})
             except TypeError:
                 annotations = {}
             except KeyError:
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/target/TYPE_CHECKING.py b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/target/TYPE_CHECKING.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..aa7eb99a6e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/target/TYPE_CHECKING.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from io import StringIO
+
+
+class Foo:
+    attr1: "StringIO"
diff --git a/tests/test_ext_autodoc.py b/tests/test_ext_autodoc.py
index 15e1f35395e..ca6f0168c71 100644
--- a/tests/test_ext_autodoc.py
+++ b/tests/test_ext_autodoc.py
@@ -1740,6 +1740,27 @@ def test_autodoc_Annotated(app):
     ]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.sphinx('html', testroot='ext-autodoc')
+def test_autodoc_TYPE_CHECKING(app):
+    options = {"members": None,
+               "undoc-members": None}
+    actual = do_autodoc(app, 'module', 'target.TYPE_CHECKING', options)
+    assert list(actual) == [
+        '',
+        '.. py:module:: target.TYPE_CHECKING',
+        '',
+        '',
+        '.. py:class:: Foo()',
+        '   :module: target.TYPE_CHECKING',
+        '',
+        '',
+        '   .. py:attribute:: Foo.attr1',
+        '      :module: target.TYPE_CHECKING',
+        '      :type: StringIO',
+        '',
+    ]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.sphinx('html', testroot='pycode-egg')
 def test_autodoc_for_egged_code(app):
     options = {"members": None,