--- old/src/hotspot/share/prims/methodHandles.cpp	2018-05-04 04:04:33.333481058 -0400
+++ new/src/hotspot/share/prims/methodHandles.cpp	2018-05-04 04:04:31.737388999 -0400
@@ -297,6 +297,9 @@
     } else if (m->is_initializer()) {
       flags |= IS_CONSTRUCTOR | (JVM_REF_invokeSpecial << REFERENCE_KIND_SHIFT);
     } else {
+      // "special" reflects that this is a direct call, not that it
+      // necessarily originates from an invokespecial. We can also do
+      // direct calls for private and/or final non-static methods.
       flags |= IS_METHOD      | (JVM_REF_invokeSpecial << REFERENCE_KIND_SHIFT);
     }
     break;