--- old/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.cpp	2012-11-27 15:19:58.141741658 -0800
+++ new/src/share/vm/runtime/arguments.cpp	2012-11-27 15:19:57.923396651 -0800
@@ -1502,13 +1502,12 @@
                      Abstract_VM_Version::parallel_worker_threads());
   }
 
-  if (FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(MarkStackSize)) {
-    FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(MarkStackSize, 128 * TASKQUEUE_SIZE);
-  }
-  if (PrintGCDetails && Verbose) {
-    tty->print_cr("MarkStackSize: %uk  MarkStackSizeMax: %uk",
-      MarkStackSize / K, MarkStackSizeMax / K);
-    tty->print_cr("ConcGCThreads: %u", ConcGCThreads);
+  // MarkStackSize will be set (if it hasn't been set by the user)
+  // when concurrent marking is initialized.
+  // Its value will be based upon the number of parallel marking threads.
+  // But we do set the maximum mark stack size here.
+  if (FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(MarkStackSizeMax)) {
+    FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(MarkStackSizeMax, 128 * TASKQUEUE_SIZE);
   }
 
   if (FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(GCTimeRatio) || GCTimeRatio == 0) {
@@ -1520,6 +1519,12 @@
     // is allocation). We might consider increase it further.
     FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(GCTimeRatio, 9);
   }
+
+  if (PrintGCDetails && Verbose) {
+    tty->print_cr("MarkStackSize: %uk  MarkStackSizeMax: %uk",
+      MarkStackSize / K, MarkStackSizeMax / K);
+    tty->print_cr("ConcGCThreads: %u", ConcGCThreads);
+  }
 }
 
 void Arguments::set_heap_size() {
@@ -1978,6 +1983,9 @@
   status = status && verify_min_value(ClassMetaspaceSize, 1*M,
                                       "ClassMetaspaceSize");
 
+  status = status && verify_interval(MarkStackSizeMax,
+                                  1, (max_jint - 1), "MarkStackSizeMax");
+
 #ifdef SPARC
   if (UseConcMarkSweepGC || UseG1GC) {
     // Issue a stern warning if the user has explicitly set