diff -r d17f37522154 -r 7c537f4298fb src/share/classes/javax/tools/ToolProvider.java
--- a/src/share/classes/javax/tools/ToolProvider.java	Mon Jan 10 14:57:59 2011 -0800
+++ b/src/share/classes/javax/tools/ToolProvider.java	Mon Jan 10 15:08:31 2011 -0800
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2005, 2010, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2005, 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@
     {
         // try loading class directly, in case tool is on the bootclasspath
         try {
-            return enableAsserts(Class.forName(toolClassName, false, null));
+            return Class.forName(toolClassName, false, null);
         } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
             trace(FINE, e);
 
@@ -194,27 +194,10 @@
                 trace(FINE, urls[0].toString());
 
                 cl = URLClassLoader.newInstance(urls);
-                cl.setPackageAssertionStatus("com.sun.tools.javac", true);
                 refToolClassLoader = new WeakReference<ClassLoader>(cl);
             }
 
             return Class.forName(toolClassName, false, cl);
         }
-
     }
-
-    private static Class<?> enableAsserts(Class<?> cls) {
-        try {
-            ClassLoader loader = cls.getClassLoader();
-            if (loader != null)
-                loader.setPackageAssertionStatus("com.sun.tools.javac", true);
-            else
-                trace(FINE, "loader == null");
-        } catch (SecurityException ex) {
-            trace(FINE, ex);
-        }
-        return cls;
-    }
-
-
 }