diff --git a/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/handshake/HandshakeDirectTest.java b/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/handshake/HandshakeDirectTest.java
index af43c6059d5..600ef6089a6 100644
--- a/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/handshake/HandshakeDirectTest.java
+++ b/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/handshake/HandshakeDirectTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2020, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2020, 2025, 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
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public class HandshakeDirectTest  implements Runnable {
     static Object[] locks = new Object[WORKING_THREADS];
     static AtomicInteger handshakeCount = new AtomicInteger(0);
 
-    static void suspendThread(Thread t) {
+    static boolean suspendThread(Thread t) {
         try {
             JVMTIUtils.suspendThread(t);
         } catch (JVMTIUtils.JvmtiException e) {
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ public class HandshakeDirectTest  implements Runnable {
                 && e.getCode() != JVMTIUtils.JVMTI_ERROR_WRONG_PHASE) {
                 throw e;
             }
+            return false; // failed to suspend
         }
+        return true; // suspended
     }
 
     static void resumeThread(Thread t) {
@@ -115,7 +117,10 @@ public class HandshakeDirectTest  implements Runnable {
             public void run() {
                 while (true) {
                     int i = ThreadLocalRandom.current().nextInt(0, WORKING_THREADS - 1);
-                    suspendThread(workingThreads[i]);
+                    boolean suspended = suspendThread(workingThreads[i]);
+                    if (!suspended) {
+                        continue; // skip resumeThread call if thread was not suspended
+                    }
                     try {
                         Thread.sleep(1); // sleep for 1 ms
                     } catch(InterruptedException ie) {