diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahDegeneratedGC.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahDegeneratedGC.cpp
index b2d578c599d..21de01c5850 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahDegeneratedGC.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahDegeneratedGC.cpp
@@ -45,19 +45,19 @@
 #include "runtime/vmThread.hpp"
 #include "utilities/events.hpp"
 
-ShenandoahDegenGC::ShenandoahDegenGC(ShenandoahDegenPoint degen_point, ShenandoahGeneration* generation) :
+ShenandoahDegenGC::ShenandoahDegenGC(ShenandoahDegenPoint degen_point, ShenandoahGeneration* generation, bool do_old_gc_bootstrap) :
   ShenandoahGC(generation),
   _degen_point(degen_point),
-  _abbreviated(false) {
+  _abbreviated(false),
+  _do_old_gc_bootstrap(do_old_gc_bootstrap) {
 }
 
 bool ShenandoahDegenGC::collect(GCCause::Cause cause) {
   vmop_degenerated();
   ShenandoahHeap* heap = ShenandoahHeap::heap();
   if (heap->mode()->is_generational()) {
-    bool is_bootstrap_gc = heap->young_generation()->is_bootstrap_cycle();
     FormatBuffer<32> buf("Degenerated %s GC", _generation->name());
-    const char* msg = is_bootstrap_gc ? "Degenerated Bootstrap Old GC" : buf.buffer();
+    const char* msg = _do_old_gc_bootstrap ? "Degenerated Bootstrap Old GC" : buf.buffer();
     heap->mmu_tracker()->record_degenerated(GCId::current(), msg);
     heap->log_heap_status(FormatBuffer<64>("At end of %s", msg));
   }
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahDegeneratedGC.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahDegeneratedGC.hpp
index 34b9688106c..f3d033af128 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahDegeneratedGC.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahDegeneratedGC.hpp
@@ -35,9 +35,10 @@ class ShenandoahDegenGC : public ShenandoahGC {
 private:
   const ShenandoahDegenPoint  _degen_point;
   bool _abbreviated;
+  const bool _do_old_gc_bootstrap;
 
 public:
-  ShenandoahDegenGC(ShenandoahDegenPoint degen_point, ShenandoahGeneration* generation);
+  ShenandoahDegenGC(ShenandoahDegenPoint degen_point, ShenandoahGeneration* generation, bool do_old_gc_bootstrap = false);
   bool collect(GCCause::Cause cause) override;
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGenerationalControlThread.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGenerationalControlThread.cpp
index f522a33a31c..e456366be5d 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGenerationalControlThread.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGenerationalControlThread.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ ShenandoahGenerationalControlThread::ShenandoahGenerationalControlThread() :
   _requested_generation(nullptr),
   _gc_mode(none),
   _degen_point(ShenandoahGC::_degenerated_unset),
-  _heap(ShenandoahGenerationalHeap::heap()) {
+  _heap(ShenandoahGenerationalHeap::heap()),
+  _do_old_gc_bootstrap(false) {
   shenandoah_assert_generational();
   set_name("ShenControl");
   create_and_start();
@@ -529,12 +530,14 @@ void ShenandoahGenerationalControlThread::service_concurrent_cycle(ShenandoahGen
 
   assert(!generation->is_old(), "Old GC takes a different control path");
 
+  _do_old_gc_bootstrap = do_old_gc_bootstrap;
   ShenandoahConcurrentGC gc(generation, do_old_gc_bootstrap);
   _heap->increment_total_collections(false);
   if (gc.collect(cause)) {
     // Cycle is complete
     _heap->notify_gc_progress();
     generation->record_success_concurrent(gc.abbreviated());
+    _do_old_gc_bootstrap = false;
   } else {
     assert(_heap->cancelled_gc(), "Must have been cancelled");
     check_cancellation_or_degen(gc.degen_point());
@@ -613,9 +616,10 @@ void ShenandoahGenerationalControlThread::service_stw_degenerated_cycle(const Sh
 
   ShenandoahGCSession session(request.cause, request.generation, true,
                               _degen_point == ShenandoahGC::ShenandoahDegenPoint::_degenerated_outside_cycle);
-  ShenandoahDegenGC gc(_degen_point, request.generation);
+  ShenandoahDegenGC gc(_degen_point, request.generation, _do_old_gc_bootstrap);
   gc.collect(request.cause);
   _degen_point = ShenandoahGC::_degenerated_unset;
+  _do_old_gc_bootstrap = false;
 
   assert(_heap->young_generation()->task_queues()->is_empty(), "Unexpected young generation marking tasks");
   if (request.generation->is_global()) {
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGenerationalControlThread.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGenerationalControlThread.hpp
index 5a3ab25eabe..358299ea469 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGenerationalControlThread.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGenerationalControlThread.hpp
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ private:
   // preparing for mark).
   ShenandoahSharedFlag _allow_old_preemption;
 
+  // True while the current cycle is the bootstrap of an old GC.
+  bool _do_old_gc_bootstrap;
+
 public:
   ShenandoahGenerationalControlThread();