diff -r e91159f921a5 -r e4355b352b7d src/share/vm/runtime/thread.cpp
--- a/src/share/vm/runtime/thread.cpp	Wed Sep 17 18:11:40 2008 -0700
+++ b/src/share/vm/runtime/thread.cpp	Fri Sep 26 13:33:15 2008 -0400
@@ -2964,10 +2964,6 @@
       if (UseStringCache) {
         // Forcibly initialize java/lang/String and mutate the private
         // static final "stringCacheEnabled" field before we start creating instances
-#ifdef ASSERT
-        klassOop tmp_k = SystemDictionary::find(vmSymbolHandles::java_lang_String(), Handle(), Handle(), CHECK_0);
-        assert(tmp_k == NULL, "java/lang/String should not be loaded yet");
-#endif
         klassOop k_o = SystemDictionary::resolve_or_null(vmSymbolHandles::java_lang_String(), Handle(), Handle(), CHECK_0);
         KlassHandle k = KlassHandle(THREAD, k_o);
         guarantee(k.not_null(), "Must find java/lang/String");