diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahNormalMode.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahNormalMode.cpp
index e8ef9c7c1a4..bbe038eb167 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahNormalMode.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahNormalMode.cpp
@@ -33,12 +33,13 @@
 #include "logging/logTag.hpp"
 
 void ShenandoahNormalMode::initialize_flags() const {
+  if (ShenandoahConcurrentRoots::can_do_concurrent_class_unloading()) {
+    FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(ShenandoahSuspendibleWorkers, true);
+    FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(VerifyBeforeExit, false);
+  }
+
   SHENANDOAH_ERGO_ENABLE_FLAG(ExplicitGCInvokesConcurrent);
   SHENANDOAH_ERGO_ENABLE_FLAG(ShenandoahImplicitGCInvokesConcurrent);
-  if (ShenandoahConcurrentRoots::can_do_concurrent_class_unloading()) {
-    SHENANDOAH_ERGO_ENABLE_FLAG(ShenandoahSuspendibleWorkers);
-    SHENANDOAH_ERGO_DISABLE_FLAG(VerifyBeforeExit);
-  }
 
   // Final configuration checks
   SHENANDOAH_CHECK_FLAG_SET(ShenandoahLoadRefBarrier);