diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/cds/aotClassLocation.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/cds/aotClassLocation.cpp
index 62fc491a0dd..f77aac3540c 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/cds/aotClassLocation.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/cds/aotClassLocation.cpp
@@ -965,12 +965,7 @@ bool AOTClassLocationConfig::validate(const char* cache_filename, bool has_aot_l
 
   log_locations(cache_filename, /*is_write=*/false);
 
-  ClassPathEntry* jrt_entry = ClassLoader::get_jrt_entry();
-  if (jrt_entry == nullptr) {
-    log_warning(class, path)("Runtime image (modules) is unreadable or missing - validation failed");
-    return false;
-  }
-  const char* jrt = jrt_entry->name();
+  const char* jrt = ClassLoader::get_jrt_entry()->name();
   log_info(class, path)("Checking [0] (modules image)");
   bool success = class_location_at(0)->check(jrt, has_aot_linked_classes);
   log_info(class, path)("Modules image %s validation: %s", jrt, success ? "passed" : "failed");
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/classfile/classLoader.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/classfile/classLoader.cpp
index 12fbda899b9..f6bba6d9d3e 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/classfile/classLoader.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/classfile/classLoader.cpp
@@ -1418,6 +1418,10 @@ char* ClassLoader::lookup_vm_options() {
   jio_snprintf(modules_path, JVM_MAXPATHLEN, "%s%slib%smodules", Arguments::get_java_home(), fileSep, fileSep);
   JImage_file =(*JImageOpen)(modules_path, &error);
   if (JImage_file == nullptr) {
+    if (Arguments::has_jimage()) {
+      // The modules file exists but is unreadable or corrupt
+      vm_exit_during_initialization(err_msg("Unable to load %s", modules_path));
+    }
     return nullptr;
   }