diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/prims/jvmtiAgent.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/prims/jvmtiAgent.cpp
index feb765aa5f6..f70935982b5 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/prims/jvmtiAgent.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/prims/jvmtiAgent.cpp
@@ -488,6 +488,11 @@ extern "C" {
 // Loading the agent by invoking Agent_OnAttach.
 // This function is called before the agent is added to JvmtiAgentList.
 static bool invoke_Agent_OnAttach(JvmtiAgent* agent, outputStream* st) {
+  if (!EnableDynamicAgentLoading) {
+    st->print_cr("Dynamic agent loading is not enabled. "
+                 "Use -XX:+EnableDynamicAgentLoading to launch target VM.");
+    return false;
+  }
   DEBUG_ONLY(assert_preload(agent);)
   assert(agent->is_dynamic(), "invariant");
   assert(st != nullptr, "invariant");
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/services/attachListener.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/services/attachListener.cpp
index 9a5da5e592b..8c03ececee0 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/services/attachListener.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/services/attachListener.cpp
@@ -402,10 +402,6 @@ static void attach_listener_thread_entry(JavaThread* thread, TRAPS) {
     // handle special detachall operation
     if (strcmp(op->name(), AttachOperation::detachall_operation_name()) == 0) {
       AttachListener::detachall();
-    } else if (!EnableDynamicAgentLoading && strcmp(op->name(), "load") == 0) {
-      st.print("Dynamic agent loading is not enabled. "
-               "Use -XX:+EnableDynamicAgentLoading to launch target VM.");
-      res = JNI_ERR;
     } else {
       // find the function to dispatch too
       AttachOperationFunctionInfo* info = nullptr;
diff --git a/test/jdk/sun/tools/jcmd/JavaAgent.java b/test/jdk/sun/tools/jcmd/JavaAgent.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d9e6e2d7f58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/jdk/sun/tools/jcmd/JavaAgent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
+ *
+ * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
+ * accompanied this code).
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
+ * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
+ * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
+ * questions.
+ */
+
+ /**
+  * A no-op Java agent.
+  */
+public class JavaAgent {
+    public static void agentmain(String args) {
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/jdk/sun/tools/jcmd/TestJcmdNoAgentLoad.java b/test/jdk/sun/tools/jcmd/TestJcmdNoAgentLoad.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eaebbc020f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/jdk/sun/tools/jcmd/TestJcmdNoAgentLoad.java
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
+ *
+ * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
+ * accompanied this code).
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
+ * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
+ * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
+ * questions.
+ */
+
+import static jdk.test.lib.Asserts.*;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.management.ManagementFactory;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.nio.file.Paths;
+import java.util.jar.Attributes;
+import java.util.jar.Manifest;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import com.sun.management.HotSpotDiagnosticMXBean;
+import com.sun.management.VMOption;
+import jdk.test.lib.process.OutputAnalyzer;
+import jdk.test.lib.Utils;
+import jdk.test.lib.util.JarUtils;
+
+/*
+ * @test id=default
+ * @bug 8304438
+ * @summary JVMTI.agent_load should obey EnableDynamicAgentLoading (by default)
+ * @modules jdk.attach jdk.jcmd
+ * @library /test/lib
+ * @build JavaAgent
+ * @run main/othervm TestJcmdNoAgentLoad
+ */
+
+/*
+ * @test id=disabled
+ * @bug 8304438
+ * @summary JVMTI.agent_load should obey EnableDynamicAgentLoading (disabled)
+ * @modules jdk.attach jdk.jcmd
+ * @library /test/lib
+ * @build JavaAgent
+ * @run main/othervm -XX:-EnableDynamicAgentLoading TestJcmdNoAgentLoad
+ */
+
+/*
+ * @test id=enabled
+ * @bug 8304438
+ * @summary JVMTI.agent_load should obey EnableDynamicAgentLoading (enabled)
+ * @modules jdk.attach jdk.jcmd
+ * @library /test/lib
+ * @build JavaAgent
+ * @run main/othervm -XX:+EnableDynamicAgentLoading TestJcmdNoAgentLoad
+ */
+
+
+public class TestJcmdNoAgentLoad {
+    private static final String PTRN = "Dynamic agent loading is not enabled";
+    private static boolean dynamicLoadingEnabled = true;
+    private static final String TEST_CLASSES = System.getProperty("test.classes");
+    private static String javaAgent;
+
+    static {
+        // get VM option EnableDynamicAgentLoading value
+        HotSpotDiagnosticMXBean bean = ManagementFactory.getPlatformMXBean(HotSpotDiagnosticMXBean.class);
+        VMOption dynamicLoadingEnabledOpt = bean.getVMOption("EnableDynamicAgentLoading");
+        dynamicLoadingEnabled = dynamicLoadingEnabledOpt.getValue().equals("true");
+    }
+
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        setup();
+        testNoAgentLoad(new String[] { "JVMTI.agent_load", javaAgent });
+    }
+
+    private static void setup() throws Exception {
+        // create JAR file with Java agent
+        Manifest man = new Manifest();
+        Attributes attrs = man.getMainAttributes();
+        attrs.put(Attributes.Name.MANIFEST_VERSION, "1.0");
+        attrs.put(new Attributes.Name("Agent-Class"), "JavaAgent");
+        Path jarfile = Path.of("javaagent.jar");
+        Path classes = Path.of(TEST_CLASSES);
+        JarUtils.createJarFile(jarfile, man, classes, Path.of("JavaAgent.class"));
+        javaAgent = jarfile.toString();
+    }
+
+    private static void testNoAgentLoad(String... jcmdArgs) throws Exception {
+        OutputAnalyzer output = JcmdBase.jcmd(jcmdArgs);
+
+        output.shouldHaveExitValue(0);
+        if (dynamicLoadingEnabled) {
+            output.shouldNotContain(PTRN);
+        } else {
+            output.shouldContain(PTRN);
+        }
+    }
+}