diff --git a/src/share/classes/java/lang/Thread.java b/src/share/classes/java/lang/Thread.java
index 13d8ac26cad192ff98d8ca4d2f26830992e3de90..274801cea6c585a9f7b9f5ebd30298868ac4fa0f 100644
--- a/src/share/classes/java/lang/Thread.java
+++ b/src/share/classes/java/lang/Thread.java
@@ -366,6 +366,8 @@ class Thread implements Runnable {
             throw new NullPointerException("name cannot be null");
         }
 
+        this.name = name.toCharArray();
+
         Thread parent = currentThread();
         SecurityManager security = System.getSecurityManager();
         if (g == null) {
@@ -402,7 +404,6 @@ class Thread implements Runnable {
         this.group = g;
         this.daemon = parent.isDaemon();
         this.priority = parent.getPriority();
-        this.name = name.toCharArray();
         if (security == null || isCCLOverridden(parent.getClass()))
             this.contextClassLoader = parent.getContextClassLoader();
         else