diff --git a/jdk/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/Class.java b/jdk/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/Class.java
index 2179ee809f5..5c03b975326 100644
--- a/jdk/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/Class.java
+++ b/jdk/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/Class.java
@@ -262,8 +262,8 @@ public final class Class<T> implements java.io.Serializable,
     @CallerSensitive
     public static Class<?> forName(String className)
                 throws ClassNotFoundException {
-        return forName0(className, true,
-                        ClassLoader.getClassLoader(Reflection.getCallerClass()));
+        Class<?> caller = Reflection.getCallerClass();
+        return forName0(className, true, ClassLoader.getClassLoader(caller), caller);
     }
 
 
@@ -333,22 +333,27 @@ public final class Class<T> implements java.io.Serializable,
                                    ClassLoader loader)
         throws ClassNotFoundException
     {
-        if (sun.misc.VM.isSystemDomainLoader(loader)) {
-            SecurityManager sm = System.getSecurityManager();
-            if (sm != null) {
-                ClassLoader ccl = ClassLoader.getClassLoader(Reflection.getCallerClass());
+        Class<?> caller = null;
+        SecurityManager sm = System.getSecurityManager();
+        if (sm != null) {
+            // Reflective call to get caller class is only needed if a security manager
+            // is present.  Avoid the overhead of making this call otherwise.
+            caller = Reflection.getCallerClass();
+            if (sun.misc.VM.isSystemDomainLoader(loader)) {
+                ClassLoader ccl = ClassLoader.getClassLoader(caller);
                 if (!sun.misc.VM.isSystemDomainLoader(ccl)) {
                     sm.checkPermission(
                         SecurityConstants.GET_CLASSLOADER_PERMISSION);
                 }
             }
         }
-        return forName0(name, initialize, loader);
+        return forName0(name, initialize, loader, caller);
     }
 
-    /** Called after security checks have been made. */
+    /** Called after security check for system loader access checks have been made. */
     private static native Class<?> forName0(String name, boolean initialize,
-                                            ClassLoader loader)
+                                            ClassLoader loader,
+                                            Class<?> caller)
         throws ClassNotFoundException;
 
     /**
diff --git a/jdk/src/java.base/share/native/include/jvm.h b/jdk/src/java.base/share/native/include/jvm.h
index f3ac9286cdc..26f988a2b58 100644
--- a/jdk/src/java.base/share/native/include/jvm.h
+++ b/jdk/src/java.base/share/native/include/jvm.h
@@ -385,6 +385,19 @@ JVM_ResolveClass(JNIEnv *env, jclass cls);
 JNIEXPORT jclass JNICALL
 JVM_FindClassFromBootLoader(JNIEnv *env, const char *name);
 
+/*
+ * Find a class from a given class loader.  Throws ClassNotFoundException.
+ *  name:   name of class
+ *  init:   whether initialization is done
+ *  loader: class loader to look up the class. This may not be the same as the caller's
+ *          class loader.
+ *  caller: initiating class. The initiating class may be null when a security
+ *          manager is not installed.
+ */
+JNIEXPORT jclass JNICALL
+JVM_FindClassFromCaller(JNIEnv *env, const char *name, jboolean init,
+                        jobject loader, jclass caller);
+
 /*
  * Find a class from a given class loader. Throw ClassNotFoundException
  * or NoClassDefFoundError depending on the value of the last
diff --git a/jdk/src/java.base/share/native/libjava/Class.c b/jdk/src/java.base/share/native/libjava/Class.c
index 98726d38ebd..ae759514a79 100644
--- a/jdk/src/java.base/share/native/libjava/Class.c
+++ b/jdk/src/java.base/share/native/libjava/Class.c
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ Java_java_lang_Class_registerNatives(JNIEnv *env, jclass cls)
 
 JNIEXPORT jclass JNICALL
 Java_java_lang_Class_forName0(JNIEnv *env, jclass this, jstring classname,
-                              jboolean initialize, jobject loader)
+                              jboolean initialize, jobject loader, jclass caller)
 {
     char *clname;
     jclass cls = 0;
@@ -131,8 +131,7 @@ Java_java_lang_Class_forName0(JNIEnv *env, jclass this, jstring classname,
         goto done;
     }
 
-    cls = JVM_FindClassFromClassLoader(env, clname, initialize,
-                                       loader, JNI_FALSE);
+    cls = JVM_FindClassFromCaller(env, clname, initialize, loader, caller);
 
  done:
     if (clname != buf) {