--- old/src/share/vm/classfile/javaClasses.cpp	2014-11-09 16:45:41.424889265 +0300
+++ new/src/share/vm/classfile/javaClasses.cpp	2014-11-09 16:45:41.372889264 +0300
@@ -944,7 +944,7 @@
   assert(_group_offset == 0, "offsets should be initialized only once");
 
   Klass* k = SystemDictionary::Thread_klass();
-  compute_offset(_name_offset,      k, vmSymbols::name_name(),      vmSymbols::char_array_signature());
+  compute_offset(_name_offset,      k, vmSymbols::name_name(),      vmSymbols::string_signature());
   compute_offset(_group_offset,     k, vmSymbols::group_name(),     vmSymbols::threadgroup_signature());
   compute_offset(_contextClassLoader_offset, k, vmSymbols::contextClassLoader_name(), vmSymbols::classloader_signature());
   compute_offset(_inheritedAccessControlContext_offset, k, vmSymbols::inheritedAccessControlContext_name(), vmSymbols::accesscontrolcontext_signature());
@@ -974,14 +974,14 @@
 }
 
 
-typeArrayOop java_lang_Thread::name(oop java_thread) {
+oop java_lang_Thread::name(oop java_thread) {
   oop name = java_thread->obj_field(_name_offset);
-  assert(name == NULL || (name->is_typeArray() && TypeArrayKlass::cast(name->klass())->element_type() == T_CHAR), "just checking");
-  return typeArrayOop(name);
+  assert(name != NULL, "thread name is NULL");
+  return name;
 }
 
 
-void java_lang_Thread::set_name(oop java_thread, typeArrayOop name) {
+void java_lang_Thread::set_name(oop java_thread, oop name) {
   assert(java_thread->obj_field(_name_offset) == NULL, "name should be NULL");
   java_thread->obj_field_put(_name_offset, name);
 }
--- old/src/share/vm/classfile/javaClasses.hpp	2014-11-09 16:45:41.648889270 +0300
+++ new/src/share/vm/classfile/javaClasses.hpp	2014-11-09 16:45:41.580889268 +0300
@@ -131,7 +131,9 @@
   static typeArrayOop value(oop java_string) {
     assert(initialized && (value_offset > 0), "Must be initialized");
     assert(is_instance(java_string), "must be java_string");
-    return (typeArrayOop) java_string->obj_field(value_offset);
+    oop value = java_string->obj_field(value_offset);
+    assert((value->is_typeArray() && TypeArrayKlass::cast(value->klass())->element_type() == T_CHAR), "expect char[]");
+    return typeArrayOop(value);
   }
   static unsigned int hash(oop java_string) {
     assert(initialized && (hash_offset > 0), "Must be initialized");
@@ -345,8 +347,8 @@
   // Set JavaThread for instance
   static void set_thread(oop java_thread, JavaThread* thread);
   // Name
-  static typeArrayOop name(oop java_thread);
-  static void set_name(oop java_thread, typeArrayOop name);
+  static oop name(oop java_thread);
+  static void set_name(oop java_thread, oop name);
   // Priority
   static ThreadPriority priority(oop java_thread);
   static void set_priority(oop java_thread, ThreadPriority priority);
--- old/src/share/vm/prims/jvmtiEnv.cpp	2014-11-09 16:45:41.880889275 +0300
+++ new/src/share/vm/prims/jvmtiEnv.cpp	2014-11-09 16:45:41.828889274 +0300
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@
     return JVMTI_ERROR_INVALID_THREAD;
 
   Handle thread_obj(current_thread, thread_oop);
-  typeArrayHandle    name;
+  Handle name;
   ThreadPriority priority;
   Handle     thread_group;
   Handle context_class_loader;
@@ -950,7 +950,7 @@
 
   { MutexLocker mu(Threads_lock);
 
-    name = typeArrayHandle(current_thread, java_lang_Thread::name(thread_obj()));
+    name = Handle(current_thread, java_lang_Thread::name(thread_obj()));
     priority = java_lang_Thread::priority(thread_obj());
     thread_group = Handle(current_thread, java_lang_Thread::threadGroup(thread_obj()));
     is_daemon = java_lang_Thread::is_daemon(thread_obj());
@@ -961,7 +961,7 @@
   { const char *n;
 
     if (name() != NULL) {
-      n = UNICODE::as_utf8((jchar*) name->base(T_CHAR), name->length());
+      n = java_lang_String::as_utf8_string(name());
     } else {
       n = UNICODE::as_utf8(NULL, 0);
     }
--- old/src/share/vm/prims/jvmtiTrace.cpp	2014-11-09 16:45:42.088889279 +0300
+++ new/src/share/vm/prims/jvmtiTrace.cpp	2014-11-09 16:45:42.032889278 +0300
@@ -266,11 +266,11 @@
   if (threadObj == NULL) {
     return "NULL";
   }
-  typeArrayOop name = java_lang_Thread::name(threadObj);
+  oop name = java_lang_Thread::name(threadObj);
   if (name == NULL) {
     return "<NOT FILLED IN>";
   }
-  return UNICODE::as_utf8((jchar*) name->base(T_CHAR), name->length());
+  return java_lang_String::as_utf8_string(name);
 }
 
 
--- old/src/share/vm/runtime/thread.cpp	2014-11-09 16:45:42.272889283 +0300
+++ new/src/share/vm/runtime/thread.cpp	2014-11-09 16:45:42.220889282 +0300
@@ -2870,14 +2870,12 @@
   const char* name_str;
   oop thread_obj = threadObj();
   if (thread_obj != NULL) {
-    typeArrayOop name = java_lang_Thread::name(thread_obj);
+    oop name = java_lang_Thread::name(thread_obj);
     if (name != NULL) {
       if (buf == NULL) {
-        name_str = UNICODE::as_utf8((jchar*) name->base(T_CHAR),
-                                    name->length());
+        name_str = java_lang_String::as_utf8_string(name);
       } else {
-        name_str = UNICODE::as_utf8((jchar*) name->base(T_CHAR),
-                                    name->length(), buf, buflen);
+        name_str = java_lang_String::as_utf8_string(name, buf, buflen);
       }
     } else if (is_attaching_via_jni()) { // workaround for 6412693 - see 6404306
       name_str = "<no-name - thread is attaching>";