diff --git a/src/share/vm/runtime/serviceThread.cpp b/src/share/vm/runtime/serviceThread.cpp
index 600398d1c12859ba7b3cf509c4273d4bdf8b3193..e5c70f7b70c98a7eaf8cc020f25f5cc3c103e9d9 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/runtime/serviceThread.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/runtime/serviceThread.cpp
@@ -70,11 +70,10 @@ void ServiceThread::initialize() {
     java_lang_Thread::set_priority(thread_oop(), NearMaxPriority);
     java_lang_Thread::set_daemon(thread_oop());
     thread->set_threadObj(thread_oop());
+    _instance = thread;
 
     Threads::add(thread);
     Thread::start(thread);
-
-    _instance = thread;
   }
 }