diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compilerOracle.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compilerOracle.cpp
index 4ce0cd772e7..695d5eee0cc 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compilerOracle.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compilerOracle.cpp
@@ -653,6 +653,7 @@ static bool parseMemLimit(const char* line, intx& value, int& bytes_read, char*
   char* end;
   if (!parse_integer<size_t>(line, &end, &s)) {
     jio_snprintf(errorbuf, buf_size, "MemLimit: invalid value");
+    return false;
   }
   bytes_read = (int)(end - line);
 
@@ -666,7 +667,7 @@ static bool parseMemLimit(const char* line, intx& value, int& bytes_read, char*
       bytes_read += 5;
     } else {
       jio_snprintf(errorbuf, buf_size, "MemLimit: invalid option");
-      return true;
+      return false;
     }
   }
   value = v;
@@ -705,9 +706,11 @@ static void scan_value(enum OptionType type, char* line, int& total_bytes_read,
   total_bytes_read += skipped;
   if (type == OptionType::Intx) {
     intx value;
-    // Special handling for memlimit
-    bool success = (option == CompileCommand::MemLimit) && parseMemLimit(line, value, bytes_read, errorbuf, buf_size);
-    if (!success) {
+    bool success = false;
+    if (option == CompileCommand::MemLimit) {
+      // Special parsing for MemLimit
+      success = parseMemLimit(line, value, bytes_read, errorbuf, buf_size);
+    } else {
       // Is it a raw number?
       success = sscanf(line, "" INTX_FORMAT "%n", &value, &bytes_read) == 1;
     }
@@ -733,7 +736,6 @@ static void scan_value(enum OptionType type, char* line, int& total_bytes_read,
       total_bytes_read += bytes_read;
       line += bytes_read;
       register_command(matcher, option, value);
-      return;
     } else {
       jio_snprintf(errorbuf, buf_size, "Value cannot be read for option '%s' of type '%s'", ccname, type_str);
     }
diff --git a/test/hotspot/jtreg/compiler/compilercontrol/commands/MemLimitTest.java b/test/hotspot/jtreg/compiler/compilercontrol/commands/MemLimitTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5cf86794524
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/hotspot/jtreg/compiler/compilercontrol/commands/MemLimitTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright Red Hat, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
+ *
+ * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
+ * accompanied this code).
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
+ * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
+ * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
+ * questions.
+ */
+
+/*
+ * @test
+ * @bug 8319301
+ * @summary Tests various ways to call memlimit
+ * @library /test/lib /
+ *
+ * @run driver compiler.compilercontrol.commands.MemLimitTest
+ */
+
+package compiler.compilercontrol.commands;
+
+import jdk.test.lib.process.OutputAnalyzer;
+import jdk.test.lib.process.ProcessTools;
+
+public class MemLimitTest {
+
+    static void do_test(String option, boolean expectSuccess, int expectedValue) throws Exception {
+        OutputAnalyzer output = ProcessTools.executeTestJvm("-Xmx64m", "-XX:CompileCommand=" + option, "-version");
+        if (expectSuccess) {
+            output.shouldHaveExitValue(0);
+            output.shouldNotContain("error occurred");
+            // On success, we expect the command to be registered with the expected value
+            output.shouldContain("CompileCommand: MemLimit *.* intx MemLimit = " + expectedValue);
+        } else {
+            // On error, we don't expec a command registered.
+            output.shouldNotHaveExitValue(0);
+            output.shouldNotMatch("# A fatal error.*");
+            output.shouldContain("CompileCommand: An error occurred during parsing");
+            output.shouldNotContain("CompileCommand: MemStat"); // on error, no command should be registered!
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        // Check parsing of the MemLimit option. For functional tests, please see
+        // test/hotspot/jtreg/compiler/print/CompileCommandMemLimit.java
+
+        // Negative tests
+
+        // Missing value
+        do_test("MemLimit,*.*", false, 0);
+
+        // Not a parseable number. Should not crash
+        do_test("MemLimit,*.*,hallo", false, 0);
+
+        // Invalid option.
+        do_test("MemLimit,*.*,444m~hallo", false, 0);
+
+        // Positive tests
+
+        // "stop" mode is encoded as positive size
+        do_test("MemLimit,*.*,444m~stop", true, 465567744);
+
+        // "crash" mode is encoded as negative size
+        do_test("MemLimit,*.*,444m~crash", true, -465567744);
+
+        // if omitted, stop is default
+        do_test("MemLimit,*.*,444m", true, 465567744);
+
+    }
+}