diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahClosures.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahClosures.hpp
index 51903a60fb4..2291015edc6 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahClosures.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahClosures.hpp
@@ -77,18 +77,6 @@ public:
   inline void do_nmethod(nmethod* nm);
 };
 
-class ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure: public ShenandoahOopClosureBase {
-private:
-  ShenandoahHeap* _heap;
-public:
-  inline ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure();
-  inline void do_oop(oop* p);
-  inline void do_oop(narrowOop* p);
-private:
-  template <class T>
-  inline void do_oop_work(T* p);
-};
-
 template <bool concurrent, bool stable_thread>
 class ShenandoahEvacuateUpdateRootClosureBase : public ShenandoahOopClosureBase {
 protected:
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahClosures.inline.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahClosures.inline.hpp
index befc0d7c1f1..53921be8d20 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahClosures.inline.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahClosures.inline.hpp
@@ -97,18 +97,6 @@ void ShenandoahKeepAliveClosure::do_oop_work(T* p) {
   }
 }
 
-ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure::ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure() :
-  _heap(ShenandoahHeap::heap()) {
-}
-
-template <class T>
-void ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure::do_oop_work(T* p) {
-  _heap->update_with_forwarded(p);
-}
-
-void ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure::do_oop(oop* p)       { do_oop_work(p); }
-void ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure::do_oop(narrowOop* p) { do_oop_work(p); }
-
 template <bool concurrent, bool stable_thread>
 ShenandoahEvacuateUpdateRootClosureBase<concurrent, stable_thread>::ShenandoahEvacuateUpdateRootClosureBase() :
   _heap(ShenandoahHeap::heap()), _thread(stable_thread ? Thread::current() : nullptr) {
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahConcurrentGC.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahConcurrentGC.cpp
index ed40fecfc1d..6da2d2e83f7 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahConcurrentGC.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahConcurrentGC.cpp
@@ -931,7 +931,10 @@ void ShenandoahConcurrentGC::op_updaterefs() {
 
 class ShenandoahUpdateThreadClosure : public HandshakeClosure {
 private:
-  ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure _cl;
+  // This closure runs when thread is stopped for handshake, which means
+  // we can use non-concurrent closure here, as long as it only updates
+  // locations modified by the thread itself, i.e. stack locations.
+  ShenandoahNonConcUpdateRefsClosure _cl;
 public:
   ShenandoahUpdateThreadClosure();
   void do_thread(Thread* thread);
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGC.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGC.cpp
index 922f54edf3c..6195f445f7b 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGC.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGC.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "gc/shenandoah/shenandoahClosures.inline.hpp"
 #include "gc/shenandoah/shenandoahGC.hpp"
 #include "gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.hpp"
+#include "gc/shenandoah/shenandoahOopClosures.inline.hpp"
 #include "gc/shenandoah/shenandoahPhaseTimings.hpp"
 #include "gc/shenandoah/shenandoahRootProcessor.inline.hpp"
 #include "gc/shenandoah/shenandoahUtils.hpp"
@@ -66,13 +67,13 @@ public:
     assert(ShenandoahSafepoint::is_at_shenandoah_safepoint(), "Must be at a safepoint");
     ShenandoahParallelWorkerSession worker_session(worker_id);
 
-    ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure cl;
+    ShenandoahNonConcUpdateRefsClosure cl;
     if (_check_alive) {
       ShenandoahForwardedIsAliveClosure is_alive;
-      _root_updater->roots_do<ShenandoahForwardedIsAliveClosure, ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure>(worker_id, &is_alive, &cl);
+      _root_updater->roots_do<ShenandoahForwardedIsAliveClosure, ShenandoahNonConcUpdateRefsClosure>(worker_id, &is_alive, &cl);
     } else {
-      AlwaysTrueClosure always_true;;
-      _root_updater->roots_do<AlwaysTrueClosure, ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure>(worker_id, &always_true, &cl);
+      AlwaysTrueClosure always_true;
+      _root_updater->roots_do<AlwaysTrueClosure, ShenandoahNonConcUpdateRefsClosure>(worker_id, &always_true, &cl);
     }
   }
 };
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.cpp
index 7ae4a1cf8b3..e94f43b8886 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.cpp
@@ -2012,8 +2012,8 @@ void ShenandoahHeap::stw_process_weak_roots(bool full_gc) {
   // Cleanup weak roots
   if (has_forwarded_objects()) {
     ShenandoahForwardedIsAliveClosure is_alive;
-    ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure keep_alive;
-    ShenandoahParallelWeakRootsCleaningTask<ShenandoahForwardedIsAliveClosure, ShenandoahUpdateRefsClosure>
+    ShenandoahNonConcUpdateRefsClosure keep_alive;
+    ShenandoahParallelWeakRootsCleaningTask<ShenandoahForwardedIsAliveClosure, ShenandoahNonConcUpdateRefsClosure>
       cleaning_task(timing_phase, &is_alive, &keep_alive, num_workers);
     _workers->run_task(&cleaning_task);
   } else {
@@ -2197,7 +2197,7 @@ public:
       do_work<ShenandoahConcUpdateRefsClosure>(worker_id);
     } else {
       ShenandoahParallelWorkerSession worker_session(worker_id);
-      do_work<ShenandoahSTWUpdateRefsClosure>(worker_id);
+      do_work<ShenandoahNonConcUpdateRefsClosure>(worker_id);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.hpp
index 1ee1f9dfc88..a3e0b9397da 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.hpp
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ public:
   inline void conc_update_with_forwarded(T* p);
 
   template <class T>
-  inline void update_with_forwarded(T* p);
+  inline void non_conc_update_with_forwarded(T* p);
 
   static inline void atomic_update_oop(oop update,       oop* addr,       oop compare);
   static inline void atomic_update_oop(oop update, narrowOop* addr,       oop compare);
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.inline.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.inline.hpp
index f2cc602d8cb..cd2cc2eb209 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.inline.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahHeap.inline.hpp
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ inline void ShenandoahHeap::leave_evacuation(Thread* t) {
 }
 
 template <class T>
-inline void ShenandoahHeap::update_with_forwarded(T* p) {
+inline void ShenandoahHeap::non_conc_update_with_forwarded(T* p) {
   T o = RawAccess<>::oop_load(p);
   if (!CompressedOops::is_null(o)) {
     oop obj = CompressedOops::decode_not_null(o);
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahOopClosures.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahOopClosures.hpp
index e6baa4096f0..a2869b6ead6 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahOopClosures.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahOopClosures.hpp
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ public:
   virtual void do_oop(oop* p)       { do_oop_work(p); }
 };
 
-
 class ShenandoahUpdateRefsSuperClosure : public ShenandoahOopClosureBase {
 protected:
   ShenandoahHeap* _heap;
@@ -103,15 +102,13 @@ public:
   ShenandoahUpdateRefsSuperClosure() :  _heap(ShenandoahHeap::heap()) {}
 };
 
-class ShenandoahSTWUpdateRefsClosure : public ShenandoahUpdateRefsSuperClosure {
+class ShenandoahNonConcUpdateRefsClosure : public ShenandoahUpdateRefsSuperClosure {
 private:
   template<class T>
   inline void work(T* p);
 
 public:
-  ShenandoahSTWUpdateRefsClosure() : ShenandoahUpdateRefsSuperClosure() {
-    assert(ShenandoahSafepoint::is_at_shenandoah_safepoint(), "Must only be used at safepoints");
-  }
+  ShenandoahNonConcUpdateRefsClosure() : ShenandoahUpdateRefsSuperClosure() {}
 
   virtual void do_oop(narrowOop* p) { work(p); }
   virtual void do_oop(oop* p)       { work(p); }
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahOopClosures.inline.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahOopClosures.inline.hpp
index e0662c24462..e614893aab9 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahOopClosures.inline.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahOopClosures.inline.hpp
@@ -39,15 +39,15 @@ template<ShenandoahGenerationType GENERATION>
 template<class T>
 inline void ShenandoahMarkUpdateRefsClosure<GENERATION>::work(T* p) {
   // Update the location
-  _heap->update_with_forwarded(p);
+  _heap->non_conc_update_with_forwarded(p);
 
   // ...then do the usual thing
   ShenandoahMarkRefsSuperClosure::work<T, GENERATION>(p);
 }
 
 template<class T>
-inline void ShenandoahSTWUpdateRefsClosure::work(T* p) {
-  _heap->update_with_forwarded(p);
+inline void ShenandoahNonConcUpdateRefsClosure::work(T* p) {
+  _heap->non_conc_update_with_forwarded(p);
 }
 
 template<class T>