diff --git a/src/share/vm/runtime/globals.hpp b/src/share/vm/runtime/globals.hpp
index 5b449558dd016343fdc4e5c16705dd871088b8aa..421a3ba13b383db2d6d98834419688f6c224c41a 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/runtime/globals.hpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/runtime/globals.hpp
@@ -768,8 +768,8 @@ class CommandLineFlags {
           "Time out and warn or fail after SafepointTimeoutDelay "          \
           "milliseconds if failed to reach safepoint")                      \
                                                                             \
-  develop(bool, DieOnSafepointTimeout, false,                               \
-          "Die upon failure to reach safepoint (see SafepointTimeout)")     \
+  diagnostic(bool, AbortVMOnSafepointTimeout, false,                        \
+          "Abort upon failure to reach safepoint (see SafepointTimeout)")   \
                                                                             \
   /* 50 retries * (5 * current_retry_count) millis = ~6.375 seconds */      \
   /* typically, at most a few retries are needed */                         \
diff --git a/src/share/vm/runtime/safepoint.cpp b/src/share/vm/runtime/safepoint.cpp
index 1d75cae87fbc14b2d6258828d456151d84a0b869..be4bb457ac34e9db49aba2adbd9e31666e74884e 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/runtime/safepoint.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/runtime/safepoint.cpp
@@ -790,9 +790,9 @@ void SafepointSynchronize::print_safepoint_timeout(SafepointTimeoutReason reason
     tty->print_cr("# SafepointSynchronize::begin: (End of list)");
   }
 
-  // To debug the long safepoint, specify both DieOnSafepointTimeout &
+  // To debug the long safepoint, specify both AbortVMOnSafepointTimeout &
   // ShowMessageBoxOnError.
-  if (DieOnSafepointTimeout) {
+  if (AbortVMOnSafepointTimeout) {
     char msg[1024];
     VM_Operation *op = VMThread::vm_operation();
     sprintf(msg, "Safepoint sync time longer than " INTX_FORMAT "ms detected when executing %s.",