diff --git a/src/share/vm/classfile/classFileParser.cpp b/src/share/vm/classfile/classFileParser.cpp
index efb6138e5838da3325644895ce8b059a0cfc1310..a2fec400d94e0dccac1186e4be60e737b07d2267 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/classfile/classFileParser.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/classfile/classFileParser.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
 #include "services/classLoadingService.hpp"
 #include "services/threadService.hpp"
 #include "utilities/array.hpp"
+#include "utilities/globalDefinitions.hpp"
 
 // We generally try to create the oops directly when parsing, rather than
 // allocating temporary data structures and copying the bytes twice. A
@@ -2148,9 +2149,21 @@ methodHandle ClassFileParser::parse_method(ClassLoaderData* loader_data,
                                      cp, CHECK_(nullHandle));
     } else if (method_attribute_name == vmSymbols::tag_method_parameters()) {
       method_parameters_length = cfs->get_u1_fast();
+      // Track the actual size (note: this is written for clarity; a
+      // decent compiler will CSE and constant-fold this into a single
+      // expression)
+      u2 actual_size = 1;
       method_parameters_data = cfs->get_u1_buffer();
+      actual_size += 2 * method_parameters_length;
       cfs->skip_u2_fast(method_parameters_length);
+      actual_size += 4 * method_parameters_length;
       cfs->skip_u4_fast(method_parameters_length);
+      // Enforce attribute length
+      if (method_attribute_length != actual_size) {
+        classfile_parse_error(
+          "Invalid MethodParameters method attribute length %u in class file %s",
+          method_attribute_length, CHECK_(nullHandle));
+      }
       // ignore this attribute if it cannot be reflected
       if (!SystemDictionary::Parameter_klass_loaded())
         method_parameters_length = 0;
@@ -2297,7 +2310,10 @@ methodHandle ClassFileParser::parse_method(ClassLoaderData* loader_data,
       elem[i].name_cp_index =
         Bytes::get_Java_u2(method_parameters_data);
       method_parameters_data += 2;
-      elem[i].flags = Bytes::get_Java_u4(method_parameters_data);
+      u4 flags = Bytes::get_Java_u4(method_parameters_data);
+      // This caused an alignment fault on Sparc, if flags was a u4
+      elem[i].flags_lo = extract_low_short_from_int(flags);
+      elem[i].flags_hi = extract_high_short_from_int(flags);
       method_parameters_data += 4;
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/share/vm/oops/constMethod.hpp b/src/share/vm/oops/constMethod.hpp
index 08c650278e611e7810307e5a050228b880677e0d..8b59398214032deb560810506754b04c1b12268d 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/oops/constMethod.hpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/oops/constMethod.hpp
@@ -122,7 +122,12 @@ class ExceptionTableElement VALUE_OBJ_CLASS_SPEC {
 class MethodParametersElement VALUE_OBJ_CLASS_SPEC {
  public:
   u2 name_cp_index;
-  u4 flags;
+  // This has to happen, otherwise it will cause SIGBUS from a
+  // misaligned u4 on some architectures (ie SPARC)
+  // because MethodParametersElements are only aligned mod 2
+  // within the ConstMethod container  u2 flags_hi;
+  u2 flags_hi;
+  u2 flags_lo;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/share/vm/prims/jvm.cpp b/src/share/vm/prims/jvm.cpp
index f899aac02e792c8e95b6cd9c7e2864e5565b1e28..8b7b2583c5f28d614b56198adac4a96d37997435 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/prims/jvm.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/prims/jvm.cpp
@@ -1589,6 +1589,12 @@ JVM_ENTRY(jbyteArray, JVM_GetClassTypeAnnotations(JNIEnv *env, jclass cls))
   return NULL;
 JVM_END
 
+static void bounds_check(constantPoolHandle cp, jint index, TRAPS) {
+  if (!cp->is_within_bounds(index)) {
+    THROW_MSG(vmSymbols::java_lang_IllegalArgumentException(), "Constant pool index out of bounds");
+  }
+}
+
 JVM_ENTRY(jobjectArray, JVM_GetMethodParameters(JNIEnv *env, jobject method))
 {
   JVMWrapper("JVM_GetMethodParameters");
@@ -1598,15 +1604,31 @@ JVM_ENTRY(jobjectArray, JVM_GetMethodParameters(JNIEnv *env, jobject method))
   Handle reflected_method (THREAD, JNIHandles::resolve_non_null(method));
   const int num_params = mh->method_parameters_length();
 
-  if(0 != num_params) {
+  if (0 != num_params) {
+    // make sure all the symbols are properly formatted
+    for (int i = 0; i < num_params; i++) {
+      MethodParametersElement* params = mh->method_parameters_start();
+      int index = params[i].name_cp_index;
+      bounds_check(mh->constants(), index, CHECK_NULL);
+
+      if (0 != index && !mh->constants()->tag_at(index).is_utf8()) {
+        THROW_MSG_0(vmSymbols::java_lang_IllegalArgumentException(),
+                    "Wrong type at constant pool index");
+      }
+
+    }
+
     objArrayOop result_oop = oopFactory::new_objArray(SystemDictionary::reflect_Parameter_klass(), num_params, CHECK_NULL);
     objArrayHandle result (THREAD, result_oop);
 
-    for(int i = 0; i < num_params; i++) {
+    for (int i = 0; i < num_params; i++) {
       MethodParametersElement* params = mh->method_parameters_start();
-      Symbol* const sym = mh->constants()->symbol_at(params[i].name_cp_index);
+      // For a 0 index, give a NULL symbol
+      Symbol* const sym = 0 != params[i].name_cp_index ?
+        mh->constants()->symbol_at(params[i].name_cp_index) : NULL;
+      int flags = build_int_from_shorts(params[i].flags_lo, params[i].flags_hi);
       oop param = Reflection::new_parameter(reflected_method, i, sym,
-                                            params[i].flags, CHECK_NULL);
+                                            flags, CHECK_NULL);
       result->obj_at_put(i, param);
     }
     return (jobjectArray)JNIHandles::make_local(env, result());
@@ -1830,13 +1852,6 @@ JVM_ENTRY(jint, JVM_ConstantPoolGetSize(JNIEnv *env, jobject obj, jobject unused
 JVM_END
 
 
-static void bounds_check(constantPoolHandle cp, jint index, TRAPS) {
-  if (!cp->is_within_bounds(index)) {
-    THROW_MSG(vmSymbols::java_lang_IllegalArgumentException(), "Constant pool index out of bounds");
-  }
-}
-
-
 JVM_ENTRY(jclass, JVM_ConstantPoolGetClassAt(JNIEnv *env, jobject obj, jobject unused, jint index))
 {
   JVMWrapper("JVM_ConstantPoolGetClassAt");
@@ -1851,7 +1866,6 @@ JVM_ENTRY(jclass, JVM_ConstantPoolGetClassAt(JNIEnv *env, jobject obj, jobject u
 }
 JVM_END
 
-
 JVM_ENTRY(jclass, JVM_ConstantPoolGetClassAtIfLoaded(JNIEnv *env, jobject obj, jobject unused, jint index))
 {
   JVMWrapper("JVM_ConstantPoolGetClassAtIfLoaded");
diff --git a/src/share/vm/runtime/reflection.cpp b/src/share/vm/runtime/reflection.cpp
index 76a72e4e9b775035c5c10bacf61e6d0b49f9045c..8d0cab2a4412bc03d7c25c5d3d7b0e08ca0dc54f 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/runtime/reflection.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/runtime/reflection.cpp
@@ -862,7 +862,15 @@ oop Reflection::new_field(fieldDescriptor* fd, bool intern_name, TRAPS) {
 
 oop Reflection::new_parameter(Handle method, int index, Symbol* sym,
                               int flags, TRAPS) {
-  Handle name = java_lang_String::create_from_symbol(sym, CHECK_NULL);
+  Handle name;
+
+  // A null symbol here translates to the empty string
+  if(NULL != sym) {
+    name = java_lang_String::create_from_symbol(sym, CHECK_NULL);
+  } else {
+    name = java_lang_String::create_from_str("", CHECK_NULL);
+  }
+
   Handle rh = java_lang_reflect_Parameter::create(CHECK_NULL);
   java_lang_reflect_Parameter::set_name(rh(), name());
   java_lang_reflect_Parameter::set_modifiers(rh(), flags);