--- old/src/hotspot/share/classfile/classLoader.cpp	2018-07-09 09:52:28.072150429 -0700
+++ new/src/hotspot/share/classfile/classLoader.cpp	2018-07-09 09:52:27.755120507 -0700
@@ -549,6 +549,9 @@
 
 void ClassLoader::setup_bootstrap_search_path() {
   const char* sys_class_path = Arguments::get_sysclasspath();
+  if (sys_class_path == NULL) {
+    vm_exit_during_initialization("System boot class path should not be NULL", NULL);
+  }
   if (PrintSharedArchiveAndExit) {
     // Don't print sys_class_path - this is the bootcp of this current VM process, not necessarily
     // the same as the bootcp of the shared archive.