diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/serialHeap.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/serialHeap.cpp
index 48d6a1b74ea..6b9328b8697 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/serialHeap.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/serialHeap.cpp
@@ -281,15 +281,6 @@ size_t SerialHeap::max_capacity() const {
   return _young_gen->max_capacity() + _old_gen->max_capacity();
 }
 
-// Return true if any of the following is true:
-// . the allocation won't fit into the current young gen heap
-// . heap memory is tight
-bool SerialHeap::should_try_older_generation_allocation(size_t word_size) const {
-  size_t young_capacity = _young_gen->capacity_before_gc();
-  return    (word_size > heap_word_size(young_capacity))
-         || _is_heap_almost_full;
-}
-
 HeapWord* SerialHeap::expand_heap_and_allocate(size_t size, bool is_tlab) {
   HeapWord* result = nullptr;
   if (_old_gen->should_allocate(size, is_tlab)) {
@@ -308,32 +299,26 @@ HeapWord* SerialHeap::expand_heap_and_allocate(size_t size, bool is_tlab) {
 HeapWord* SerialHeap::mem_allocate_work(size_t size, bool is_tlab) {
   HeapWord* result = nullptr;
 
-  // Loop until the allocation is satisfied, or unsatisfied after GC.
-  for (uint try_count = 1; /* return or throw */; try_count += 1) {
-    // First allocation attempt is lock-free.
-    DefNewGeneration *young = _young_gen;
-    if (young->should_allocate(size, is_tlab)) {
-      result = young->par_allocate(size);
+  for (uint try_count = 1; /* break */; try_count++) {
+    if (_young_gen->should_allocate(size, is_tlab)) {
+      result = _young_gen->par_allocate(size);
       if (result != nullptr) {
-        assert(is_in_reserved(result), "result not in heap");
-        return result;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    // Try old-gen allocation for non-TLAB.
+    if (!is_tlab) {
+      // If it's too large for young-gen or heap is too full.
+      if (size > heap_word_size(_young_gen->capacity_before_gc()) || _is_heap_almost_full) {
+        result = _old_gen->par_allocate(size);
+        if (result != nullptr) {
+          break;
+        }
       }
     }
     uint gc_count_before;  // Read inside the Heap_lock locked region.
     {
       MutexLocker ml(Heap_lock);
-      log_trace(gc, alloc)("SerialHeap::mem_allocate_work: attempting locked slow path allocation");
-      // Note that only large objects get a shot at being
-      // allocated in later generations.
-      bool first_only = !should_try_older_generation_allocation(size);
-
-      result = attempt_allocation(size, is_tlab, first_only);
-      if (result != nullptr) {
-        assert(is_in_reserved(result), "result not in heap");
-        return result;
-      }
-
-      // Read the gc count while the heap lock is held.
       gc_count_before = total_collections();
     }
 
@@ -341,10 +326,7 @@ HeapWord* SerialHeap::mem_allocate_work(size_t size, bool is_tlab) {
     VMThread::execute(&op);
     if (op.gc_succeeded()) {
       result = op.result();
-
-      assert(result == nullptr || is_in_reserved(result),
-             "result not in heap");
-      return result;
+      break;
     }
 
     // Give a warning if we seem to be looping forever.
@@ -354,6 +336,9 @@ HeapWord* SerialHeap::mem_allocate_work(size_t size, bool is_tlab) {
                             " size=%zu %s", try_count, size, is_tlab ? "(TLAB)" : "");
     }
   }
+
+  assert(result == nullptr || is_in_reserved(result), "postcondition");
+  return result;
 }
 
 HeapWord* SerialHeap::attempt_allocation(size_t size,
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/serialHeap.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/serialHeap.hpp
index e86eac58515..b89edb33307 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/serialHeap.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/serialHeap.hpp
@@ -229,10 +229,6 @@ public:
   void save_marks();
 
 private:
-  // Return true if an allocation should be attempted in the older generation
-  // if it fails in the younger generation.  Return false, otherwise.
-  bool should_try_older_generation_allocation(size_t word_size) const;
-
   // Try to allocate space by expanding the heap.
   HeapWord* expand_heap_and_allocate(size_t size, bool is_tlab);
 
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/tenuredGeneration.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/tenuredGeneration.hpp
index 892fc5bb86c..1225005aff4 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/tenuredGeneration.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/tenuredGeneration.hpp
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@ public:
   // Allocate and returns a block of the requested size, or returns "null".
   // Assumes the caller has done any necessary locking.
   inline HeapWord* allocate(size_t word_size);
+  // Multi-threaded version.
+  inline HeapWord* par_allocate(size_t word_size);
 
   // Expand the old-gen then invoke allocate above.
   HeapWord* expand_and_allocate(size_t size);
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/tenuredGeneration.inline.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/tenuredGeneration.inline.hpp
index d88b2566299..1c82566bdf4 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/tenuredGeneration.inline.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/serial/tenuredGeneration.inline.hpp
@@ -57,4 +57,12 @@ HeapWord* TenuredGeneration::allocate(size_t word_size) {
   return res;
 }
 
+HeapWord* TenuredGeneration::par_allocate(size_t word_size) {
+  HeapWord* res = _the_space->par_allocate(word_size);
+  if (res != nullptr) {
+    _bts->update_for_block(res, res + word_size);
+  }
+  return res;
+}
+
 #endif // SHARE_GC_SERIAL_TENUREDGENERATION_INLINE_HPP