diff --git a/src/share/vm/memory/metaspace.cpp b/src/share/vm/memory/metaspace.cpp
index 5f944d1ecfe5fe506c06a4d279dfa7eb038dbdd0..d382c305916706b0943bbfc3c6b9f8a5f9ddb0b1 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/memory/metaspace.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/memory/metaspace.cpp
@@ -3390,6 +3390,8 @@ void Metaspace::initialize(Mutex* lock, MetaspaceType type) {
   if (using_class_space()) {
     // Allocate SpaceManager for classes.
     _class_vsm = new SpaceManager(ClassType, lock);
+  } else {
+    _class_vsm = NULL;
   }
 
   MutexLockerEx cl(SpaceManager::expand_lock(), Mutex::_no_safepoint_check_flag);