diff --git a/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/parser/JavacParser.java b/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/parser/JavacParser.java
index b8d9c026d8639b99d5d6983130443d4f256c9b26..9cdb4628d658eb70d781cc04ee8254ea93911cb6 100644
--- a/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/parser/JavacParser.java
+++ b/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/parser/JavacParser.java
@@ -980,7 +980,7 @@ public class JavacParser implements Parser {
          */
         protected JCExpression foldStrings(JCExpression tree) {
             if (!allowStringFolding)
-                return null;
+                return tree;
             ListBuffer<JCExpression> opStack = new ListBuffer<>();
             ListBuffer<JCLiteral> litBuf = new ListBuffer<>();
             boolean needsFolding = false;
diff --git a/test/tools/javac/parser/StringFoldingTest.java b/test/tools/javac/parser/StringFoldingTest.java
index 32a59d72d13f3ee12748d5897ad554bae964daad..9ad6f719e25b4a9e8f947ea960f0d5a098b164a0 100644
--- a/test/tools/javac/parser/StringFoldingTest.java
+++ b/test/tools/javac/parser/StringFoldingTest.java
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 /*
  * @test
- * @bug 7068902
+ * @bug 7068902 8139751
  * @summary verify that string folding can be enabled or disabled
  */
 
@@ -85,11 +85,14 @@ public class StringFoldingTest {
 
         if (disableStringFolding) {
             if (text.contains("FOLDED")) {
-                throw new AssertionError("Expected string folding");
+                throw new AssertionError("Expected no string folding");
+            }
+            if (!text.contains("\"F\"")) {
+                throw new AssertionError("Expected content not found");
             }
         } else {
             if (!text.contains("FOLDED")) {
-                throw new AssertionError("Expected no string folding");
+                throw new AssertionError("Expected string folding");
             }
         }
     }