diff --git a/src/transformers/models/auto/configuration_auto.py b/src/transformers/models/auto/configuration_auto.py
index 1899c3c249fafa..84e23f106e5bac 100644
--- a/src/transformers/models/auto/configuration_auto.py
+++ b/src/transformers/models/auto/configuration_auto.py
@@ -389,7 +389,13 @@ def __getitem__(self, key):
         module_name = model_type_to_module_name(key)
         if module_name not in self._modules:
             self._modules[module_name] = importlib.import_module(f".{module_name}", "transformers.models")
-        return getattr(self._modules[module_name], value)
+        if hasattr(self._modules[module_name], value):
+            return getattr(self._modules[module_name], value)
+
+        # Some of the mappings have entries model_type -> config of another model type. In that case we try to grab the
+        # object at the top level.
+        transformers_module = importlib.import_module("transformers")
+        return getattr(transformers_module, value)
 
     def keys(self):
         return list(self._mapping.keys()) + list(self._extra_content.keys())