diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/prims/jniCheck.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/prims/jniCheck.cpp
index 8de19ea906f..f111f227887 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/prims/jniCheck.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/prims/jniCheck.cpp
@@ -1927,6 +1927,12 @@ JNI_ENTRY_CHECKED(void,
   checked_jni_DeleteWeakGlobalRef(JNIEnv *env,
                                   jweak ref))
     functionEnterExceptionAllowed(thr);
+    IN_VM(
+      if (ref && !JNIHandles::is_weak_global_handle(ref)) {
+        ReportJNIFatalError(thr,
+             "Invalid weak global JNI handle passed to DeleteWeakGlobalRef");
+      }
+    )
     UNCHECKED()->DeleteWeakGlobalRef(env, ref);
     functionExit(thr);
 JNI_END