diff --git a/src/share/vm/opto/loopnode.cpp b/src/share/vm/opto/loopnode.cpp
index f2ecc275577f4ee528e41c24e9136716a5c932e8..7d4d3dc8c79aec2113c380bc7afd793565e2b6ce 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/opto/loopnode.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/opto/loopnode.cpp
@@ -1538,7 +1538,7 @@ bool IdealLoopTree::beautify_loops( PhaseIdealLoop *phase ) {
   // If I am a shared header (multiple backedges), peel off the many
   // backedges into a private merge point and use the merge point as
   // the one true backedge.
-  if( _head->req() > 3 ) {
+  if (_head->req() > 3 && !_irreducible) {
     // Merge the many backedges into a single backedge but leave
     // the hottest backedge as separate edge for the following peel.
     merge_many_backedges( phase );
diff --git a/test/compiler/loopopts/TestBeautifyLoops.java b/test/compiler/loopopts/TestBeautifyLoops.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c831430ede10044ca820fd80f29e22f2c8804b4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compiler/loopopts/TestBeautifyLoops.java
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2020, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. All rights reserved.
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
+ *
+ * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
+ * accompanied this code).
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
+ * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
+ * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
+ * questions.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @test
+ * @bug 8240576
+ * @summary JVM crashes after transformation in C2 IdealLoopTree::merge_many_backedges
+ *
+ * @run main/othervm -XX:-TieredCompilation -XX:-BackgroundCompilation
+ *      compiler.loopopts.TestBeautifyLoops
+ */
+
+package compiler.loopopts;
+
+public class TestBeautifyLoops {
+    private int mI = 0;
+    private long mJ = 0;
+    private float mF = 0f;
+
+    public void testMethod() {
+        for (int i0 = 0; i0 < 100; i0++) {
+            if (mF != 0) {
+                // do nothing
+            } else {
+                try {
+                    mJ = Long.MAX_VALUE;
+                    for (int i1 = 0; i1 < 101; i1++) {
+                        for (int i2 = 0; i2 < 102; i2++) {
+                            mI = new Integer(0x1234);
+                        }
+                    }
+                } catch (Exception ignored) {}
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static void main(String[] args) {
+        TestBeautifyLoops obj = new TestBeautifyLoops();
+        obj.testMethod();
+    }
+}