diff --git a/src/share/vm/classfile/verifier.cpp b/src/share/vm/classfile/verifier.cpp
index d645e27713695bc458249a4a7d959ccc416ba589..4dda936d5ac00971391f40cfba850b87e2e63f18 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/classfile/verifier.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/classfile/verifier.cpp
@@ -2439,19 +2439,19 @@ void ClassVerifier::verify_invoke_instructions(
              && !ref_class_type.equals(current_type())
              && !ref_class_type.equals(VerificationType::reference_type(
                   current_class()->super()->name()))) {
-    bool subtype = ref_class_type.is_assignable_from(
-      current_type(), this, CHECK_VERIFY(this));
+    bool subtype = false;
+    if (!current_class()->is_anonymous()) {
+      subtype = ref_class_type.is_assignable_from(
+                 current_type(), this, CHECK_VERIFY(this));
+    } else {
+      subtype = ref_class_type.is_assignable_from(VerificationType::reference_type(
+                 current_class()->host_klass()->name()), this, CHECK_VERIFY(this));
+    }
     if (!subtype) {
-      if (current_class()->is_anonymous()) {
-        subtype = ref_class_type.is_assignable_from(VerificationType::reference_type(
-                   current_class()->host_klass()->name()), this, CHECK_VERIFY(this));
-      }
-      if (!subtype) {
-        verify_error(ErrorContext::bad_code(bci),
-            "Bad invokespecial instruction: "
-            "current class isn't assignable to reference class.");
-         return;
-      }
+      verify_error(ErrorContext::bad_code(bci),
+          "Bad invokespecial instruction: "
+          "current class isn't assignable to reference class.");
+       return;
     }
   }
   // Match method descriptor with operand stack
@@ -2470,17 +2470,13 @@ void ClassVerifier::verify_invoke_instructions(
         if (!current_class()->is_anonymous()) {
           current_frame->pop_stack(current_type(), CHECK_VERIFY(this));
         } else {
-          // anonymous class invokespecial calls: either the
-          // operand stack/objectref  is a subtype of the current class OR
-          // the objectref is a subtype of the host_klass of the current class
+          // anonymous class invokespecial calls: check if the
+          // objectref is a subtype of the host_klass of the current class
           // to allow an anonymous class to reference methods in the host_klass
           VerificationType top = current_frame->pop_stack(CHECK_VERIFY(this));
-          bool subtype = current_type().is_assignable_from(top, this, CHECK_VERIFY(this));
-          if (!subtype) {
-            VerificationType hosttype =
-              VerificationType::reference_type(current_class()->host_klass()->name());
-            subtype = hosttype.is_assignable_from(top, this, CHECK_VERIFY(this));
-          }
+          VerificationType hosttype =
+            VerificationType::reference_type(current_class()->host_klass()->name());
+          bool subtype = hosttype.is_assignable_from(top, this, CHECK_VERIFY(this));
           if (!subtype) {
             verify_error( ErrorContext::bad_type(current_frame->offset(),
               current_frame->stack_top_ctx(),
diff --git a/test/TEST.groups b/test/TEST.groups
index 2778ebf8df9c805b2b0048bf1f8a66f4dfcee5dd..b544c8e25bc8eda531420c792d7b70a4e3b48ab5 100644
--- a/test/TEST.groups
+++ b/test/TEST.groups
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 # - compact1, compact2, compact3, full JRE, JDK
 #
 # In addition they support testing of the minimal VM on compact1 and compact2.
-# Essentially this defines groups based around the specified API's and VM 
+# Essentially this defines groups based around the specified API's and VM
 # services available in the runtime.
 #
 # The groups are defined hierarchically in two forms:
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@
 # by listing the top-level test directories.
 #
 # To use a group simply list it on the jtreg command line eg:
-#   jtreg :jdk    
+#   jtreg :jdk
 # runs all tests. While
-#   jtreg :compact2  
+#   jtreg :compact2
 # runs those tests that only require compact1 and compact2 API's.
 #
 
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ needs_jdk = \
   runtime/7107135/Test7107135.sh \
   runtime/7158988/FieldMonitor.java \
   runtime/7194254/Test7194254.java \
+  runtime/8026365/InvokeSpecialAnonTest.java \
   runtime/jsig/Test8017498.sh \
   runtime/Metaspace/FragmentMetaspace.java \
   runtime/NMT/BaselineWithParameter.java \
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ compact2 = \
  -:needs_jdk
 
 # Tests that require compact2 API's and a full VM
-#  
+#
 needs_full_vm_compact2 =
 
 # Compact 1 adds full VM tests