diff --git a/src/java.desktop/macosx/native/libawt_lwawt/awt/CDesktopPeer.m b/src/java.desktop/macosx/native/libawt_lwawt/awt/CDesktopPeer.m
index 460749c363d..faacef5adea 100644
--- a/src/java.desktop/macosx/native/libawt_lwawt/awt/CDesktopPeer.m
+++ b/src/java.desktop/macosx/native/libawt_lwawt/awt/CDesktopPeer.m
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ JNI_COCOA_ENTER(env);
     dispatch_time_t timeout = dispatch_time(DISPATCH_TIME_NOW, (int64_t)(NSEC_PER_SEC)); // 1 second timeout
 
     // Asynchronous call to openURL
+    dispatch_retain(semaphore);
     [[NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] openURLs:urls
                                     withApplicationAtURL:appURI
                                     configuration:configuration
@@ -78,9 +79,11 @@ JNI_COCOA_ENTER(env);
             status = (OSStatus) error.code;
         }
         dispatch_semaphore_signal(semaphore);
+        dispatch_release(semaphore);
     }];
 
     dispatch_semaphore_wait(semaphore, timeout);
+    dispatch_release(semaphore);
 
 JNI_COCOA_EXIT(env);
     return status;
@@ -146,6 +149,7 @@ JNI_COCOA_ENTER(env);
     dispatch_time_t timeout = dispatch_time(DISPATCH_TIME_NOW, (int64_t)(NSEC_PER_SEC)); // 1 second timeout
 
     // Asynchronous call - openURLs:withApplicationAtURL
+    dispatch_retain(semaphore);
     [[NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] openURLs:urls
                                    withApplicationAtURL:appURI
                                    configuration:configuration
@@ -154,9 +158,11 @@ JNI_COCOA_ENTER(env);
             status = (OSStatus) error.code;
         }
         dispatch_semaphore_signal(semaphore);
+        dispatch_release(semaphore);
     }];
 
     dispatch_semaphore_wait(semaphore, timeout);
+    dispatch_release(semaphore);
 
     [urlToOpen release];
 JNI_COCOA_EXIT(env);