diff --git a/src/share/vm/classfile/bytecodeAssembler.cpp b/src/share/vm/classfile/bytecodeAssembler.cpp
index c7e08d94c47f07a8c5c2c26af70d7831fa1fb13a..77b6a9ea7474c947150d8addcc6105d6ab62f166 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/classfile/bytecodeAssembler.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/classfile/bytecodeAssembler.cpp
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ ConstantPool* BytecodeConstantPool::create_constant_pool(TRAPS) const {
     int idx = i + _orig->length();
     switch (entry._tag) {
       case BytecodeCPEntry::UTF8:
-        cp->symbol_at_put(idx, entry._u.utf8);
         entry._u.utf8->increment_refcount();
+        cp->symbol_at_put(idx, entry._u.utf8);
         break;
       case BytecodeCPEntry::KLASS:
         cp->unresolved_klass_at_put(