diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/interpreter/zero/bytecodeInterpreter.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/interpreter/zero/bytecodeInterpreter.cpp
index fa572537c2f..3f3632c0eea 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/interpreter/zero/bytecodeInterpreter.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/interpreter/zero/bytecodeInterpreter.cpp
@@ -2013,7 +2013,9 @@ run:
                 oopDesc::release_set_mark(result, ik->prototype_header());
               } else {
                 oopDesc::set_mark(result, markWord::prototype());
-                oopDesc::set_klass_gap(result, 0);
+                if (oopDesc::has_klass_gap()) {
+                  oopDesc::set_klass_gap(result, 0);
+                }
                 oopDesc::release_set_klass(result, ik);
               }
               oop obj = cast_to_oop(result);