--- old/make/autoconf/hotspot.m4	2018-04-12 13:36:36.832152286 +0200
+++ new/make/autoconf/hotspot.m4	2018-04-12 13:36:36.572152288 +0200
@@ -93,22 +93,16 @@
   AC_MSG_RESULT([$JVM_VARIANTS])
 
   # Check that the selected variants are valid
-
-  # grep filter function inspired by a comment to http://stackoverflow.com/a/1617326
-  # Notice that the original variant failes on SLES 10 and 11
-  NEEDLE=${VALID_JVM_VARIANTS// /$'\n'}
-  STACK=${JVM_VARIANTS// /$'\n'}
-  INVALID_VARIANTS=`$GREP -Fvx "${NEEDLE}" <<< "${STACK}"`
+  BASIC_GET_NON_MATCHING_VALUES(INVALID_VARIANTS, $JVM_VARIANTS, $VALID_JVM_VARIANTS)
   if test "x$INVALID_VARIANTS" != x; then
-    AC_MSG_NOTICE([Unknown variant(s) specified: $INVALID_VARIANTS])
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([The available JVM variants are: $VALID_JVM_VARIANTS])
+    AC_MSG_NOTICE([Unknown variant(s) specified: "$INVALID_VARIANTS"])
+    AC_MSG_NOTICE([The available JVM variants are: "$VALID_JVM_VARIANTS"])
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot continue])
   fi
 
   # All "special" variants share the same output directory ("server")
   VALID_MULTIPLE_JVM_VARIANTS="server client minimal"
-  NEEDLE=${VALID_MULTIPLE_JVM_VARIANTS// /$'\n'}
-  STACK=${JVM_VARIANTS// /$'\n'}
-  INVALID_MULTIPLE_VARIANTS=`$GREP -Fvx "${NEEDLE}" <<< "${STACK}"`
+  BASIC_GET_NON_MATCHING_VALUES(INVALID_MULTIPLE_VARIANTS, $JVM_VARIANTS, $VALID_MULTIPLE_JVM_VARIANTS)
   if  test "x$INVALID_MULTIPLE_VARIANTS" != x && test "x$BUILDING_MULTIPLE_JVM_VARIANTS" = xtrue; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([You cannot build multiple variants with anything else than $VALID_MULTIPLE_JVM_VARIANTS.])
   fi
@@ -263,14 +257,30 @@
 #
 AC_DEFUN_ONCE([HOTSPOT_SETUP_JVM_FEATURES],
 [
+  # Prettify the VALID_JVM_FEATURES string
+  BASIC_SORT_LIST(VALID_JVM_FEATURES, $VALID_JVM_FEATURES)
+
   # The user can in some cases supply additional jvm features. For the custom
   # variant, this defines the entire variant.
   AC_ARG_WITH([jvm-features], [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-jvm-features],
-      [additional JVM features to enable (separated by comma),  use '--help' to show possible values @<:@none@:>@])])
+      [JVM features to enable (foo) or disable (-foo), separated by comma. Use '--help' to show possible values @<:@none@:>@])])
   if test "x$with_jvm_features" != x; then
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([additional JVM features])
-    JVM_FEATURES=`$ECHO $with_jvm_features | $SED -e 's/,/ /g'`
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([$JVM_FEATURES])
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING([user specified JVM feature list])
+    USER_JVM_FEATURE_LIST=`$ECHO $with_jvm_features | $SED -e 's/,/ /g'`
+    AC_MSG_RESULT([$user_jvm_feature_list])
+    # These features will be added to all variant defaults
+    JVM_FEATURES=`$ECHO $USER_JVM_FEATURE_LIST | $AWK '{ for (i=1; i<=NF; i++) if (!match($i, /-.*/)) print $i }'`
+    # These features will be removed from all variant defaults
+    DISABLED_JVM_FEATURES=`$ECHO $USER_JVM_FEATURE_LIST | $AWK '{ for (i=1; i<=NF; i++) if (match($i, /-.*/)) print substr($i, 2) }'`
+
+    # Verify that the user has provided valid features
+    BASIC_GET_NON_MATCHING_VALUES(INVALID_FEATURES, $JVM_FEATURES $DISABLED_JVM_FEATURES, $VALID_JVM_FEATURES)
+    if test "x$INVALID_FEATURES" != x; then
+      AC_MSG_NOTICE([Unknown JVM features specified: "$INVALID_FEATURES"])
+      AC_MSG_NOTICE([The available JVM features are: "$VALID_JVM_FEATURES"])
+      AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot continue])
+    fi
+
   fi
 
   # Override hotspot cpu definitions for ARM platforms
@@ -390,7 +400,7 @@
     NON_MINIMAL_FEATURES="$NON_MINIMAL_FEATURES cds"
   fi
 
-  # Enable features depending on variant.
+  # Enable default features depending on variant.
   JVM_FEATURES_server="compiler1 compiler2 $NON_MINIMAL_FEATURES $JVM_FEATURES $JVM_FEATURES_jvmci $JVM_FEATURES_aot $JVM_FEATURES_graal"
   JVM_FEATURES_client="compiler1 $NON_MINIMAL_FEATURES $JVM_FEATURES $JVM_FEATURES_jvmci"
   JVM_FEATURES_core="$NON_MINIMAL_FEATURES $JVM_FEATURES"
@@ -413,29 +423,29 @@
 ])
 
 ###############################################################################
-# Validate JVM features once all setup is complete, including custom setup.
+# Finalize JVM features once all setup is complete, including custom setup.
 #
-AC_DEFUN_ONCE([HOTSPOT_VALIDATE_JVM_FEATURES],
+AC_DEFUN_ONCE([HOTSPOT_FINALIZE_JVM_FEATURES],
 [
-  # Keep feature lists sorted and free of duplicates
-  JVM_FEATURES_server="$($ECHO $($PRINTF '%s\n' $JVM_FEATURES_server | $SORT -u))"
-  JVM_FEATURES_client="$($ECHO $($PRINTF '%s\n' $JVM_FEATURES_client | $SORT -u))"
-  JVM_FEATURES_core="$($ECHO $($PRINTF '%s\n' $JVM_FEATURES_core | $SORT -u))"
-  JVM_FEATURES_minimal="$($ECHO $($PRINTF '%s\n' $JVM_FEATURES_minimal | $SORT -u))"
-  JVM_FEATURES_zero="$($ECHO $($PRINTF '%s\n' $JVM_FEATURES_zero | $SORT -u))"
-  JVM_FEATURES_custom="$($ECHO $($PRINTF '%s\n' $JVM_FEATURES_custom | $SORT -u))"
-
-  # Validate features
   for variant in $JVM_VARIANTS; do
     AC_MSG_CHECKING([JVM features for JVM variant '$variant'])
     features_var_name=JVM_FEATURES_$variant
-    JVM_FEATURES_TO_TEST=${!features_var_name}
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([$JVM_FEATURES_TO_TEST])
-    NEEDLE=${VALID_JVM_FEATURES// /$'\n'}
-    STACK=${JVM_FEATURES_TO_TEST// /$'\n'}
-    INVALID_FEATURES=`$GREP -Fvx "${NEEDLE}" <<< "${STACK}"`
+    JVM_FEATURES_FOR_VARIANT=${!features_var_name}
+
+    # Filter out user-requested disabled features
+    BASIC_GET_NON_MATCHING_VALUES(JVM_FEATURES_FOR_VARIANT, $JVM_FEATURES_FOR_VARIANT, $DISABLED_JVM_FEATURES)
+
+    # Keep feature lists sorted and free of duplicates
+    BASIC_SORT_LIST(JVM_FEATURES_FOR_VARIANT, $JVM_FEATURES_FOR_VARIANT)
+
+    # Update real feature set variable
+    eval $features_var_name='"'$JVM_FEATURES_FOR_VARIANT'"'
+    AC_MSG_RESULT(["$JVM_FEATURES_FOR_VARIANT"])
+
+    # Validate features (for configure script errors, not user errors)
+    INVALID_FEATURES=`$GREP -Fvx "${VALID_JVM_FEATURES// /$'\n'}" <<< "${JVM_FEATURES_FOR_VARIANT// /$'\n'}"`
     if test "x$INVALID_FEATURES" != x; then
-      AC_MSG_ERROR([Invalid JVM feature(s): $INVALID_FEATURES])
+      AC_MSG_ERROR([Internal configure script error. Invalid JVM feature(s): $INVALID_FEATURES])
     fi
   done
 ])