--- old/src/hotspot/share/prims/jvmtiEnv.cpp	2018-03-28 08:20:24.373202282 -0700
+++ new/src/hotspot/share/prims/jvmtiEnv.cpp	2018-03-28 08:20:24.049203468 -0700
@@ -3640,6 +3640,9 @@
 
 jvmtiError
 JvmtiEnv::SetHeapSamplingRate(jint sampling_rate) {
+  if (sampling_rate < 0) {
+    return JVMTI_ERROR_ILLEGAL_ARGUMENT;
+  }
   ThreadHeapSampler::set_tlab_heap_sampling(sampling_rate);
   return JVMTI_ERROR_NONE;
 } /* end SetHeapSamplingRate */