diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/prims/whitebox.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/prims/whitebox.cpp
index a4b1d0ece6d..01038b879ab 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/prims/whitebox.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/prims/whitebox.cpp
@@ -920,14 +920,19 @@ WB_ENTRY(jboolean, WB_IsIntrinsicAvailable(JNIEnv* env, jobject o, jobject metho
   if (compLevel < CompLevel_none || compLevel > CompilationPolicy::highest_compile_level()) {
     return false; // Intrinsic is not available on a non-existent compilation level.
   }
+  AbstractCompiler* comp = CompileBroker::compiler((int)compLevel);
+  if (comp == nullptr) {
+    // Could have compLevel == 0, or !TieredCompilation and incompatible values of TieredStopAtLevel and compLevel.
+    tty->print_cr("WB error: no compiler for requested compilation level %d", compLevel);
+    return false;
+  }
+
   jmethodID method_id, compilation_context_id;
   method_id = reflected_method_to_jmid(thread, env, method);
   CHECK_JNI_EXCEPTION_(env, JNI_FALSE);
   methodHandle mh(THREAD, Method::checked_resolve_jmethod_id(method_id));
 
   DirectiveSet* directive;
-  AbstractCompiler* comp = CompileBroker::compiler((int)compLevel);
-  assert(comp != nullptr, "compiler not available");
   if (compilation_context != nullptr) {
     compilation_context_id = reflected_method_to_jmid(thread, env, compilation_context);
     CHECK_JNI_EXCEPTION_(env, JNI_FALSE);