diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahBarrierSet.inline.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahBarrierSet.inline.hpp
index 5d00688f671..4f114690f53 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahBarrierSet.inline.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahBarrierSet.inline.hpp
@@ -121,10 +121,9 @@ inline oop ShenandoahBarrierSet::load_reference_barrier(DecoratorSet decorators,
     return nullptr;
   }
 
-  // Prevent resurrection of unreachable objects that are visited during
-  // concurrent class-unloading.
+  // Allow runtime to see unreachable objects that are visited during concurrent class-unloading.
   if ((decorators & AS_NO_KEEPALIVE) != 0 &&
-      _heap->is_evacuation_in_progress() &&
+      _heap->is_concurrent_weak_root_in_progress() &&
       !_heap->marking_context()->is_marked(obj)) {
     return obj;
   }
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahConcurrentGC.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahConcurrentGC.cpp
index 62150a20db8..29fd4002578 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahConcurrentGC.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahConcurrentGC.cpp
@@ -150,15 +150,22 @@ bool ShenandoahConcurrentGC::collect(GCCause::Cause cause) {
     return false;
   }
 
+  assert(heap->is_concurrent_weak_root_in_progress(), "Must be doing weak roots now");
+
   // Concurrent stack processing
   if (heap->is_evacuation_in_progress()) {
     entry_thread_roots();
   }
 
-  // Process weak roots that might still point to regions that would be broken by cleanup
-  if (heap->is_concurrent_weak_root_in_progress()) {
-    entry_weak_refs();
-    entry_weak_roots();
+  // Process weak roots that might still point to regions that would be broken by cleanup.
+  // We cannot recycle regions because weak roots need to know what is marked in trashed regions.
+  entry_weak_refs();
+  entry_weak_roots();
+
+  // Perform concurrent class unloading before any regions get recycled. Class unloading may
+  // need to inspect unmarked objects in trashed regions.
+  if (heap->unload_classes()) {
+    entry_class_unloading();
   }
 
   // Final mark might have reclaimed some immediate garbage, kick cleanup to reclaim
@@ -168,12 +175,6 @@ bool ShenandoahConcurrentGC::collect(GCCause::Cause cause) {
 
   heap->free_set()->log_status_under_lock();
 
-  // Perform concurrent class unloading
-  if (heap->unload_classes() &&
-      heap->is_concurrent_weak_root_in_progress()) {
-    entry_class_unloading();
-  }
-
   // Processing strong roots
   // This may be skipped if there is nothing to update/evacuate.
   // If so, strong_root_in_progress would be unset.
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahFreeSet.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahFreeSet.cpp
index 138e0320748..8a3eeb6a74d 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahFreeSet.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahFreeSet.cpp
@@ -999,7 +999,10 @@ HeapWord* ShenandoahFreeSet::try_allocate_in(ShenandoahHeapRegion* r, Shenandoah
   assert (has_alloc_capacity(r), "Performance: should avoid full regions on this path: %zu", r->index());
   if (_heap->is_concurrent_weak_root_in_progress() && r->is_trash()) {
     // We cannot use this region for allocation when weak roots are in progress because the collector may need
-    // to reference unmarked oops during concurrent classunloading.
+    // to reference unmarked oops during concurrent classunloading. The collector also needs accurate marking
+    // information to determine which weak handles need to be null'd out. If the region is recycled before weak
+    // roots processing has finished, weak root processing may fail to null out a handle into a trashed region.
+    // This turns the handle into a dangling pointer and will crash or corrupt the heap.
     return nullptr;
   }
   HeapWord* result = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.cpp
index fc1ff230688..ad09aecbe68 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.cpp
@@ -818,18 +818,31 @@ size_t ShenandoahHeap::initial_capacity() const {
 }
 
 bool ShenandoahHeap::is_in(const void* p) const {
-  if (is_in_reserved(p)) {
-    if (is_full_gc_move_in_progress()) {
-      // Full GC move is running, we do not have a consistent region
-      // information yet. But we know the pointer is in heap.
-      return true;
-    }
-    // Now check if we point to a live section in active region.
-    ShenandoahHeapRegion* r = heap_region_containing(p);
-    return (r->is_active() && p < r->top());
-  } else {
+  if (!is_in_reserved(p)) {
     return false;
   }
+
+  if (is_full_gc_move_in_progress()) {
+    // Full GC move is running, we do not have a consistent region
+    // information yet. But we know the pointer is in heap.
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  // Now check if we point to a live section in active region.
+  const ShenandoahHeapRegion* r = heap_region_containing(p);
+  if (p >= r->top()) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  if (r->is_active()) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  // The region is trash, but won't be recycled until after concurrent weak
+  // roots. We also don't allow mutators to allocate from trash regions
+  // during weak roots. Concurrent class unloading may access unmarked oops
+  // in trash regions.
+  return r->is_trash() && is_concurrent_weak_root_in_progress();
 }
 
 void ShenandoahHeap::notify_soft_max_changed() {