diff -r f040cf9fc9c0 -r 752ba2e5f6d0 src/share/vm/opto/node.cpp
--- a/src/share/vm/opto/node.cpp	Wed Feb 19 20:12:43 2014 -0800
+++ b/src/share/vm/opto/node.cpp	Tue Feb 25 15:11:18 2014 -0800
@@ -995,13 +995,13 @@
   if (is_Type()) {
     TypeNode *n = this->as_Type();
     if (VerifyAliases) {
-      assert(new_type->higher_equal(n->type()), "new type must refine old type");
+      assert(new_type->higher_equal_speculative(n->type()), "new type must refine old type");
     }
     n->set_type(new_type);
   } else if (is_Load()) {
     LoadNode *n = this->as_Load();
     if (VerifyAliases) {
-      assert(new_type->higher_equal(n->type()), "new type must refine old type");
+      assert(new_type->higher_equal_speculative(n->type()), "new type must refine old type");
     }
     n->set_type(new_type);
   }