diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/classfile/placeholders.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/classfile/placeholders.cpp
index 88b8d0fcc20..18707c04b46 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/classfile/placeholders.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/classfile/placeholders.cpp
@@ -326,7 +326,12 @@ void PlaceholderTable::find_and_remove(unsigned int hash,
     PlaceholderEntry *probe = get_entry(hash, name, loader_data);
     if (probe != NULL) {
        log(probe, "find_and_remove", action);
-       probe->remove_seen_thread(thread, action);
+
+       bool empty = probe->remove_seen_thread(thread, action);
+       if (empty && action == LOAD_SUPER) {
+          probe->set_supername(NULL);
+       }
+
        // If no other threads using this entry, and this thread is not using this entry for other states
        if ((probe->superThreadQ() == NULL) && (probe->loadInstanceThreadQ() == NULL)
           && (probe->defineThreadQ() == NULL) && (probe->definer() == NULL)) {
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/classfile/placeholders.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/classfile/placeholders.hpp
index d85ac9adfdc..0474632e690 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/classfile/placeholders.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/classfile/placeholders.hpp
@@ -142,8 +142,12 @@ class PlaceholderEntry : public HashtableEntry<Symbol*, mtClass> {
 
   Symbol*            supername()           const { return _supername; }
   void               set_supername(Symbol* supername) {
-    _supername = supername;
-    if (_supername != NULL) _supername->increment_refcount();
+    if (supername != _supername) {
+      _supername = supername;
+      if (_supername != NULL) {
+        _supername->increment_refcount();
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   Thread*            definer()             const {return _definer; }