diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/modRefBarrierSet.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/modRefBarrierSet.hpp
index 6c591e2b8b5..b490524feed 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/modRefBarrierSet.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shared/modRefBarrierSet.hpp
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ public:
 
   // Below length is the # array elements being written
   virtual void write_ref_array_pre(oop* dst, size_t length,
-                                   bool dest_uninitialized = false) {}
+                                   bool dest_uninitialized) {}
   virtual void write_ref_array_pre(narrowOop* dst, size_t length,
-                                   bool dest_uninitialized = false) {}
+                                   bool dest_uninitialized) {}
   // Below count is the # array elements being written, starting
   // at the address "start", which may not necessarily be HeapWord-aligned
   inline void write_ref_array(HeapWord* start, size_t count);