diff --git a/src/share/vm/opto/output.cpp b/src/share/vm/opto/output.cpp
index b0d7a9948ea4910dd18527ad71c90fe1a888816e..c77b9f60c5e683c5444eba2d9f3f4d00a3784ca1 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/opto/output.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/opto/output.cpp
@@ -2518,6 +2518,7 @@ void Scheduling::DoScheduling() {
     // Schedule the remaining instructions in the block
     while ( _available.size() > 0 ) {
       Node *n = ChooseNodeToBundle();
+      guarantee(n != NULL, "no nodes available");
       AddNodeToBundle(n,bb);
     }