diff --git a/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/logging/DeoptStats.java b/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/logging/DeoptStats.java
index b5d3584e160..1da0fa7d2a9 100644
--- a/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/logging/DeoptStats.java
+++ b/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/logging/DeoptStats.java
@@ -28,11 +28,9 @@
  * @summary Verify that the Deoptimization statistics are printed to the VM/Compiler log file
  * @library /test/lib
  * @run main/othervm -Xbatch -XX:-UseOnStackReplacement -XX:-OmitStackTraceInFastThrow
- *                   -XX:-OmitStackTraceInFastThrow
  *                   -XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions -XX:+LogCompilation
  *                   -XX:-LogVMOutput -XX:LogFile=compilation.log DeoptStats
  * @run main/othervm -Xbatch -XX:-UseOnStackReplacement -XX:-OmitStackTraceInFastThrow
- *                   -XX:-OmitStackTraceInFastThrow
  *                   -XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions -XX:+LogCompilation
  *                   -XX:+LogVMOutput -XX:LogFile=vmOutput.log DeoptStats
  * @run main/othervm DeoptStats compilation.log vmOutput.log
@@ -45,10 +43,16 @@ public class DeoptStats {
 
     static class Value {
         int i;
+
+        public Value(int i) { this.i = i; }
     }
 
     static int f(Value v) {
-        return v.i;
+        try {
+            return v.i;
+        } catch (NullPointerException npe) {
+            return -1;
+        }
     }
 
     public static void verify(String[] logFiles) throws Exception {
@@ -64,12 +68,12 @@ public class DeoptStats {
         if (args.length > 0) {
             verify(args);
         } else {
+            Value zero = new Value(0);
             for (int i = 0; i < 20_000; i++) {
-                try {
-                    f(null);
-                }
-                catch (NullPointerException npe) { }
+                f(zero);
             }
+            // trigger null_check
+            f(null);
         }
     }
 }