--- old/src/hotspot/share/utilities/vmError.cpp	2019-01-14 16:42:04.898765061 +0100
+++ new/src/hotspot/share/utilities/vmError.cpp	2019-01-14 16:42:04.702765889 +0100
@@ -1299,7 +1299,7 @@
 
   // File descriptor to tty to print an error summary to.
   // Hard wired to stdout; see JDK-8215004 (compatibility concerns).
-  static const int fd_out = 1;
+  static const int fd_out = 1; // stdout
 
   // File descriptor to the error log file.
   static int fd_log = -1;
@@ -1310,7 +1310,8 @@
   fdStream out(fd_out);
   out.set_scratch_buffer(buffer, sizeof(buffer));
 
-  fdStream log(fd_log); // May or may not be open at this point.
+  // Depending on the re-entrance depth at this point, fd_log may be -1 or point to an open hs-err file.
+  fdStream log(fd_log);
   log.set_scratch_buffer(buffer, sizeof(buffer));
 
   // How many errors occurred in error handler when reporting first_error.
@@ -1473,11 +1474,11 @@
     _current_step = 0;
     _current_step_info = "";
 
-    if (fd_log != fd_out) {
+    if (fd_log != -1) {
       close(fd_log);
+      fd_log = -1;
     }
 
-    fd_log = -1;
     log.set_fd(-1);
   }