diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/prims/methodHandles.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/prims/methodHandles.cpp
index 1ab5d6ab7f7..16617250198 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/prims/methodHandles.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/prims/methodHandles.cpp
@@ -1236,6 +1236,9 @@ JVM_ENTRY(void, MHN_copyOutBootstrapArguments(JNIEnv* env, jobject igcls,
                                               jint start, jint end,
                                               jobjectArray buf_jh, jint pos,
                                               jboolean resolve, jobject ifna_jh)) {
+  // caller->constants->copy_bootstrap_arguments_at performs a runtime
+  // range check, but let's assert earlier as well.
+  assert(start < end && start >= 0, "invariant");
   Klass* caller_k = java_lang_Class::as_Klass(JNIHandles::resolve(caller_jh));
   if (caller_k == nullptr || !caller_k->is_instance_klass()) {
       THROW_MSG(vmSymbols::java_lang_InternalError(), "bad caller");
@@ -1256,54 +1259,9 @@ JVM_ENTRY(void, MHN_copyOutBootstrapArguments(JNIEnv* env, jobject igcls,
       != caller->constants()->bootstrap_argument_count_at(bss_index_in_pool)) {
       THROW_MSG(vmSymbols::java_lang_InternalError(), "bad index info (1)");
   }
-  objArrayHandle buf(THREAD, (objArrayOop) JNIHandles::resolve(buf_jh));
-  if (start < 0) {
-    for (int pseudo_index = -4; pseudo_index < 0; pseudo_index++) {
-      if (start == pseudo_index) {
-        if (start >= end || 0 > pos || pos >= buf->length())  break;
-        oop pseudo_arg = nullptr;
-        switch (pseudo_index) {
-        case -4:  // bootstrap method
-          {
-            int bsm_index = caller->constants()->bootstrap_method_ref_index_at(bss_index_in_pool);
-            pseudo_arg = caller->constants()->resolve_possibly_cached_constant_at(bsm_index, CHECK);
-            break;
-          }
-        case -3:  // name
-          {
-            Symbol* name = caller->constants()->name_ref_at(bss_index_in_pool, Bytecodes::_invokedynamic);
-            Handle str = java_lang_String::create_from_symbol(name, CHECK);
-            pseudo_arg = str();
-            break;
-          }
-        case -2:  // type
-          {
-            Symbol* type = caller->constants()->signature_ref_at(bss_index_in_pool, Bytecodes::_invokedynamic);
-            Handle th;
-            if (type->char_at(0) == JVM_SIGNATURE_FUNC) {
-              th = SystemDictionary::find_method_handle_type(type, caller, CHECK);
-            } else {
-              th = SystemDictionary::find_java_mirror_for_type(type, caller, SignatureStream::NCDFError, CHECK);
-            }
-            pseudo_arg = th();
-            break;
-          }
-        case -1:  // argument count
-          {
-            int argc = caller->constants()->bootstrap_argument_count_at(bss_index_in_pool);
-            jvalue argc_value; argc_value.i = (jint)argc;
-            pseudo_arg = java_lang_boxing_object::create(T_INT, &argc_value, CHECK);
-            break;
-          }
-        }
 
-        // Store the pseudo-argument, and advance the pointers.
-        buf->obj_at_put(pos++, pseudo_arg);
-        ++start;
-      }
-    }
-    // When we are done with this there may be regular arguments to process too.
-  }
+  objArrayHandle buf(THREAD, (objArrayOop)JNIHandles::resolve(buf_jh));
+
   Handle ifna(THREAD, JNIHandles::resolve(ifna_jh));
   caller->constants()->
     copy_bootstrap_arguments_at(bss_index_in_pool,