diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/opto/vectorIntrinsics.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/opto/vectorIntrinsics.cpp
index c51ee30895e..41d8fd713e0 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/opto/vectorIntrinsics.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/opto/vectorIntrinsics.cpp
@@ -161,8 +161,8 @@ Node* GraphKit::box_vector(Node* vector, const TypeInstPtr* vbox_type, BasicType
 
 Node* GraphKit::unbox_vector(Node* v, const TypeInstPtr* vbox_type, BasicType elem_bt, int num_elem, bool shuffle_to_vector) {
   assert(EnableVectorSupport, "");
-  const TypeInstPtr* vbox_type_v = gvn().type(v)->is_instptr();
-  if (vbox_type->instance_klass() != vbox_type_v->instance_klass()) {
+  const TypeInstPtr* vbox_type_v = gvn().type(v)->isa_instptr();
+  if (vbox_type_v == nullptr || vbox_type->instance_klass() != vbox_type_v->instance_klass()) {
     return nullptr; // arguments don't agree on vector shapes
   }
   if (vbox_type_v->maybe_null()) {