diff --git a/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapFrame.cpp b/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapFrame.cpp
index 38fe483fb9606ca9f556145457c80bf557fc4e76..864c2257fc8a266e5ede4b1ed66a14175f02cbc4 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapFrame.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapFrame.cpp
@@ -208,8 +208,10 @@ bool StackMapFrame::has_flag_match_exception(
   return true;
 }
 
-bool StackMapFrame::is_assignable_to(const StackMapFrame* target, TRAPS) const {
-  if (_max_locals != target->max_locals() || _stack_size != target->stack_size()) {
+bool StackMapFrame::is_assignable_to(
+    const StackMapFrame* target, bool is_exception_handler, TRAPS) const {
+  if (_max_locals != target->max_locals() ||
+      _stack_size != target->stack_size()) {
     return false;
   }
   // Only need to compare type elements up to target->locals() or target->stack().
@@ -222,7 +224,7 @@ bool StackMapFrame::is_assignable_to(const StackMapFrame* target, TRAPS) const {
   bool match_flags = (_flags | target->flags()) == target->flags();
 
   return match_locals && match_stack &&
-    (match_flags || has_flag_match_exception(target));
+    (match_flags || (is_exception_handler && has_flag_match_exception(target)));
 }
 
 VerificationType StackMapFrame::pop_stack_ex(VerificationType type, TRAPS) {
diff --git a/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapFrame.hpp b/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapFrame.hpp
index a07df0ce56f8a83676194e97072cfe9da5966c84..a6d6a2938b9230f7b76b07e9217d67b74758df7b 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapFrame.hpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapFrame.hpp
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@ class StackMapFrame : public ResourceObj {
   void copy_stack(const StackMapFrame* src);
 
   // Return true if this stack map frame is assignable to target.
-  bool is_assignable_to(const StackMapFrame* target, TRAPS) const;
+  bool is_assignable_to(const StackMapFrame* target,
+                        bool is_exception_handler, TRAPS) const;
 
   // Push type into stack type array.
   inline void push_stack(VerificationType type, TRAPS) {
diff --git a/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapTable.cpp b/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapTable.cpp
index f6a0b427386b024d6f8186b0a65f978a73d736eb..97bf564f19275edb2d2f75a5255f672f5ff48bc7 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapTable.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/classfile/stackMapTable.cpp
@@ -98,10 +98,13 @@ bool StackMapTable::match_stackmap(
   bool result = true;
   StackMapFrame *stackmap_frame = _frame_array[frame_index];
   if (match) {
+    // when checking handler target, match == true && update == false
+    bool is_exception_handler = !update;
     // Has direct control flow from last instruction, need to match the two
     // frames.
     result = frame->is_assignable_to(
-      stackmap_frame, CHECK_VERIFY_(frame->verifier(), false));
+      stackmap_frame, is_exception_handler,
+      CHECK_VERIFY_(frame->verifier(), false));
   }
   if (update) {
     // Use the frame in stackmap table as current frame