diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.cpp
index 81c1f91927c..990caa17315 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ ShenandoahHeapRegion::ShenandoahHeapRegion(HeapWord* start, size_t index, bool c
   _empty_time(os::elapsedTime()),
   _top_before_promoted(nullptr),
   _state(committed ? _empty_committed : _empty_uncommitted),
-  _volatile_top(start + RegionSizeWords),
+  _volatile_top(nullptr),
   _top(start),
   _tlab_allocs(0),
   _gclab_allocs(0),
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.hpp
index 268201b8ac3..6607d8f8777 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.hpp
@@ -389,7 +389,9 @@ public:
 
   inline HeapWord* allocate_lab_atomic(const ShenandoahAllocRequest &req, size_t &actual_size, bool &ready_for_retire);
 
-  inline bool try_allocate(HeapWord* const obj, size_t const size);
+  // Use AtomicAccess::cmpxchg to allocate the object,
+  // prior value of _volatile_top will be always written to reference prior_volatile_top.
+  inline bool try_allocate(HeapWord* const obj, size_t const size, HeapWord* &prior_volatile_top);
 
   inline void clear_live_data();
   void set_live_data(size_t s);
@@ -461,7 +463,8 @@ public:
   }
 
   HeapWord* top() const {
-    return is_active_alloc_region() ? volatile_top() : _top;
+    HeapWord* v_top = volatile_top();
+    return v_top == nullptr ? _top : v_top;
   }
   void set_top(HeapWord* v) {
     _top = v;
@@ -479,8 +482,8 @@ public:
   size_t free() const           { return byte_size(top(),    end()); }
   size_t free_words() const     { return pointer_delta(end(), top()); }
   size_t free_bytes_for_atomic_alloc() const {
-    assert(is_active_alloc_region(), "Must be");
-    return byte_size(volatile_top(),    end());
+    HeapWord* v_top = volatile_top();
+    return v_top == nullptr ? 0 : byte_size(volatile_top(),    end());
   }
 
   // Does this region contain this address?
@@ -554,6 +557,7 @@ public:
   inline void set_active_alloc_region() {
     assert(_active_alloc_region.is_unset(), "Must be");
     // Sync _top to _volatile_top before setting _active_alloc_region flag to prepare for CAS allocation
+    assert(_volatile_top == nullptr, "Must be");
     AtomicAccess::store(&_volatile_top, _top);
     _active_alloc_region.set();
   }
@@ -563,18 +567,21 @@ public:
   // when the region is removed from the alloc region array in ShenandoahAllocator.
   inline void unset_active_alloc_region() {
     shenandoah_assert_heaplocked();
+    assert(is_active_alloc_region(), "Must be");
 
     // Before unset _active_alloc_region flag, _volatile_top needs to be set to the end of region,
     // this avoid race condition when the alloc region removed from the alloc regions array used by lock-free allocation in allocator.
-    HeapWord* current_volatile_top = volatile_top();
-    while (current_volatile_top != end() &&
-           AtomicAccess::cmpxchg(&_volatile_top, current_volatile_top, end()) != current_volatile_top) {
-      // Failed to exchange _volatile_top with end, get new _volatile_top and retry
-      current_volatile_top = volatile_top();
+    HeapWord* previous_volatile_top = nullptr;
+    while (true /*Always break out in the loop*/) {
+      previous_volatile_top = volatile_top();
+      assert(previous_volatile_top != nullptr, "Must not");
+      set_top(previous_volatile_top); // Sync current _volatile_top back to _top
+      if (AtomicAccess::cmpxchg(&_volatile_top, previous_volatile_top, (HeapWord*) nullptr) == previous_volatile_top) {
+        // break when successfully exchange _volatile_top to nullptr
+        break;
+      }
     }
-    set_top(current_volatile_top); // Sync current _volatile_top back to _top
-
-    assert(is_active_alloc_region(), "Must be");
+    assert(_top == previous_volatile_top, "Must be");
     _active_alloc_region.unset();
   }
 
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.inline.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.inline.hpp
index e69c45f4a83..e8ba9da4cd1 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.inline.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeapRegion.inline.hpp
@@ -170,16 +170,25 @@ HeapWord* ShenandoahHeapRegion::allocate_atomic(size_t size, const ShenandoahAll
   assert(this->is_regular() || this->is_regular_pinned(), "must be a regular region");
 
   ShenandoahHeapRegionReadyForRetireChecker retire_checker(ready_for_retire);
+  HeapWord* obj = volatile_top();
+  if (obj == nullptr) {
+    // _volatile_top has been updated to nullptr, it is not allowed to do atomic alloc
+    return nullptr;
+  }
+
   for (;/*Always return in the loop*/;) {
-    HeapWord* obj = volatile_top();
     size_t free_words = pointer_delta( end(), obj);
     if (free_words >= size) {
-      if (try_allocate(obj, size)) {
+      if (try_allocate(obj /*value*/, size, obj /*reference*/)) {
         reset_age();
         adjust_alloc_metadata(req, size);
         retire_checker._remnant_free_words = free_words - size;
         return obj;
       }
+      if (obj == nullptr) {
+        // _volatile_top has been updated to nullptr, it is not allowed to retry atomic alloc
+        return nullptr;
+      }
     } else {
       retire_checker._remnant_free_words = free_words;
       return nullptr;
@@ -193,22 +202,31 @@ HeapWord* ShenandoahHeapRegion::allocate_lab_atomic(const ShenandoahAllocRequest
   assert(this->is_regular() || this->is_regular_pinned(), "must be a regular region");
 
   ShenandoahHeapRegionReadyForRetireChecker retire_checker(ready_for_retire);
+  HeapWord* obj = volatile_top();
+  if (obj == nullptr) {
+    // _volatile_top has been updated to nullptr, it is not allowed to do atomic alloc
+    return nullptr;
+  }
   for (;/*Always return in the loop*/;) {
     size_t adjusted_size = req.size();
-    HeapWord* obj = volatile_top();
     size_t free_words = pointer_delta(end(), obj);
     size_t aligned_free_words = align_down((free_words * HeapWordSize) >> LogHeapWordSize, MinObjAlignment);
     if (adjusted_size > aligned_free_words) {
       adjusted_size = aligned_free_words;
     }
     if (adjusted_size >= req.min_size()) {
-      if (try_allocate(obj, adjusted_size)) {
+      if (try_allocate(obj /*value*/, adjusted_size, obj /*reference*/)) {
         reset_age();
         actual_size = adjusted_size;
         adjust_alloc_metadata(req, adjusted_size);
         retire_checker._remnant_free_words = free_words - adjusted_size;
         return obj;
       }
+
+      if (obj == nullptr) {
+        // _volatile_top has been updated to nullptr, it is not allowed to retry atomic alloc
+        return nullptr;
+      }
     } else {
       retire_checker._remnant_free_words = free_words;
       log_trace(gc, free)("Failed to shrink TLAB or GCLAB request (%zu) in region %zu to %zu"
@@ -218,9 +236,9 @@ HeapWord* ShenandoahHeapRegion::allocate_lab_atomic(const ShenandoahAllocRequest
   }
 }
 
-bool ShenandoahHeapRegion::try_allocate(HeapWord* const obj, size_t const size) {
+bool ShenandoahHeapRegion::try_allocate(HeapWord* const obj, size_t const size, HeapWord* &prior_top) {
   HeapWord* new_top = obj + size;
-  if (AtomicAccess::cmpxchg(&_volatile_top, obj, new_top) == obj) {
+  if ((prior_top = AtomicAccess::cmpxchg(&_volatile_top, obj, new_top)) == obj) {
     assert(is_object_aligned(new_top), "new top breaks alignment: " PTR_FORMAT, p2i(new_top));
     assert(is_object_aligned(obj),     "obj is not aligned: "       PTR_FORMAT, p2i(obj));
     return true;