diff --git a/src/share/vm/memory/universe.cpp b/src/share/vm/memory/universe.cpp
index a7a6c24bfd278d2d0155ddffe086f994b3292fad..79e092a3b1993c66b0929bc4886b0175495d33f5 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/memory/universe.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/memory/universe.cpp
@@ -885,6 +885,8 @@ ReservedSpace Universe::reserve_heap(size_t heap_size, size_t alignment) {
   // the actual alignment depends on its size.
   Universe::set_class_metaspace_size(align_size_up(ClassMetaspaceSize, alignment));
   size_t total_reserved = align_size_up(heap_size + Universe::class_metaspace_size(), alignment);
+  assert(!UseCompressedOops || (total_reserved <= (OopEncodingHeapMax - os::vm_page_size())),
+      "heap size is too big for compressed oops");
   char* addr = Universe::preferred_heap_base(total_reserved, Universe::UnscaledNarrowOop);
 
   ReservedHeapSpace total_rs(total_reserved, alignment, UseLargePages, addr);
diff --git a/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.cpp b/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.cpp
index d6e4c308444528d09859e767963d5aebe04efaa6..44acefb4c05128afdbc1589a4de43da4f27f27e0 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.cpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.cpp
@@ -1381,6 +1381,40 @@ bool Arguments::should_auto_select_low_pause_collector() {
   return false;
 }
 
+void Arguments::set_use_compressed_oops() {
+#ifndef ZERO
+#ifdef _LP64
+  // MaxHeapSize is not set up properly at this point, but
+  // the only value that can override MaxHeapSize if we are
+  // to use UseCompressedOops is InitialHeapSize.
+  size_t max_heap_size = MAX2(MaxHeapSize, InitialHeapSize);
+
+  if (max_heap_size <= max_heap_for_compressed_oops()) {
+#if !defined(COMPILER1) || defined(TIERED)
+    if (FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(UseCompressedOops)) {
+      FLAG_SET_ERGO(bool, UseCompressedOops, true);
+    }
+#endif
+#ifdef _WIN64
+    if (UseLargePages && UseCompressedOops) {
+      // Cannot allocate guard pages for implicit checks in indexed addressing
+      // mode, when large pages are specified on windows.
+      // This flag could be switched ON if narrow oop base address is set to 0,
+      // see code in Universe::initialize_heap().
+      Universe::set_narrow_oop_use_implicit_null_checks(false);
+    }
+#endif //  _WIN64
+  } else {
+    if (UseCompressedOops && !FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(UseCompressedOops)) {
+      warning("Max heap size too large for Compressed Oops");
+      FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(UseCompressedOops, false);
+      FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(UseCompressedKlassPointers, false);
+    }
+  }
+#endif // _LP64
+#endif // ZERO
+}
+
 void Arguments::set_ergonomics_flags() {
 
   if (os::is_server_class_machine()) {
@@ -1410,30 +1444,7 @@ void Arguments::set_ergonomics_flags() {
 
 #ifndef ZERO
 #ifdef _LP64
-  // Check that UseCompressedOops can be set with the max heap size allocated
-  // by ergonomics.
-  if (MaxHeapSize <= max_heap_for_compressed_oops()) {
-#if !defined(COMPILER1) || defined(TIERED)
-    if (FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(UseCompressedOops)) {
-      FLAG_SET_ERGO(bool, UseCompressedOops, true);
-    }
-#endif
-#ifdef _WIN64
-    if (UseLargePages && UseCompressedOops) {
-      // Cannot allocate guard pages for implicit checks in indexed addressing
-      // mode, when large pages are specified on windows.
-      // This flag could be switched ON if narrow oop base address is set to 0,
-      // see code in Universe::initialize_heap().
-      Universe::set_narrow_oop_use_implicit_null_checks(false);
-    }
-#endif //  _WIN64
-  } else {
-    if (UseCompressedOops && !FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(UseCompressedOops)) {
-      warning("Max heap size too large for Compressed Oops");
-      FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(UseCompressedOops, false);
-      FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(UseCompressedKlassPointers, false);
-    }
-  }
+  set_use_compressed_oops();
   // UseCompressedOops must be on for UseCompressedKlassPointers to be on.
   if (!UseCompressedOops) {
     if (UseCompressedKlassPointers) {
diff --git a/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.hpp b/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.hpp
index 26c029744da2dc8713638116eedd5ba9bb9eb191..d75fc9a82bdd96ec7ec01e96924c96c32680fb59 100644
--- a/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.hpp
+++ b/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.hpp
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ class Arguments : AllStatic {
   // Garbage-First (UseG1GC)
   static void set_g1_gc_flags();
   // GC ergonomics
+  static void set_use_compressed_oops();
   static void set_ergonomics_flags();
   static void set_shared_spaces_flags();
   // Setup heap size