diff --git a/src/share/vm/classfile/classFileParser.cpp b/src/share/vm/classfile/classFileParser.cpp
index 3b1d4d29061f17c0d492fdcff3f33d48f38a8c73..5a8e90f32e028665393ea0e6cd4580913c3b6fd6 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/classfile/classFileParser.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/classfile/classFileParser.cpp
@@ -2770,18 +2770,19 @@ void ClassFileParser::parse_classfile_bootstrap_methods_attribute(u4 attribute_b
   ClassFileStream* cfs = stream();
   u1* current_start = cfs->current();
 
-  cfs->guarantee_more(2, CHECK);  // length
+  guarantee_property(attribute_byte_length > sizeof(u2),
+                     "Invalid BootstrapMethods attribute length %u in class file %s",
+                     attribute_byte_length,
+                     CHECK);
+
+  cfs->guarantee_more(attribute_byte_length, CHECK);
+
   int attribute_array_length = cfs->get_u2_fast();
 
   guarantee_property(_max_bootstrap_specifier_index < attribute_array_length,
                      "Short length on BootstrapMethods in class file %s",
                      CHECK);
 
-  guarantee_property(attribute_byte_length > sizeof(u2),
-                     "Invalid BootstrapMethods attribute length %u in class file %s",
-                     attribute_byte_length,
-                     CHECK);
-
   // The attribute contains a counted array of counted tuples of shorts,
   // represending bootstrap specifiers:
   //    length*{bootstrap_method_index, argument_count*{argument_index}}