diff -r 0386097d43d8 -r ea20d7ce26b0 src/share/vm/prims/jvmtiEnvBase.cpp
--- a/src/share/vm/prims/jvmtiEnvBase.cpp	Mon Mar 02 13:57:17 2009 -0700
+++ b/src/share/vm/prims/jvmtiEnvBase.cpp	Mon Mar 02 14:00:23 2009 -0700
@@ -1322,6 +1322,12 @@
   HandleMark   hm(current_thread);
   uint32_t debug_bits = 0;
 
+  // retrieve or create the state
+  JvmtiThreadState* state = JvmtiThreadState::state_for(java_thread);
+  if (state == NULL) {
+    return JVMTI_ERROR_THREAD_NOT_ALIVE;
+  }
+
   // Check if java_thread is fully suspended
   if (!is_thread_fully_suspended(java_thread,
                                  true /* wait for suspend completion */,
@@ -1329,9 +1335,6 @@
     return JVMTI_ERROR_THREAD_NOT_SUSPENDED;
   }
 
-  // retreive or create the state
-  JvmtiThreadState* state = JvmtiThreadState::state_for(java_thread);
-
   // Check to see if a ForceEarlyReturn was already in progress
   if (state->is_earlyret_pending()) {
     // Probably possible for JVMTI clients to trigger this, but the