--- old/src/hotspot/share/memory/metaspace.cpp	2021-04-13 10:52:22.837313575 +0200
+++ new/src/hotspot/share/memory/metaspace.cpp	2021-04-13 10:52:22.689313286 +0200
@@ -1046,12 +1046,13 @@
   // Don't use large pages for the class space.
   bool large_pages = false;
 
-#if !(defined(AARCH64) || defined(AIX))
+#if !(defined(AARCH64) || defined(PPC64))
   ReservedSpace metaspace_rs = ReservedSpace(compressed_class_space_size(),
                                              _reserve_alignment,
                                              large_pages,
                                              requested_addr);
-#else // AARCH64
+#else // AARCH64 || PPC64
+
   ReservedSpace metaspace_rs;
 
   // Our compressed klass pointers may fit nicely into the lower 32
@@ -1069,6 +1070,13 @@
     // compressed class base is a multiple of 4G.
     // Aix: Search for a place where we can find memory. If we need to load
     // the base, 4G alignment is helpful, too.
+    // PPC64: smaller heaps up to 2g will be mapped just below 4g. Then the
+    // attempt to place the compressed class space just after the heap fails on
+    // Linux 4.1.42 and higher because the launcher is loaded at 4g
+    // (ELF_ET_DYN_BASE). In that case we reach here and search the address space
+    // below 32g to get a zerobased CCS. For simplicity we reuse the search
+    // strategy for AARCH64.
+
     size_t increment = AARCH64_ONLY(4*)G;
     for (char *a = align_up(requested_addr, increment);
          a < (char*)(1024*G);
@@ -1100,7 +1108,7 @@
     }
   }
 
-#endif // AARCH64
+#endif // AARCH64 || PPC64
 
   if (!metaspace_rs.is_reserved()) {
 #if INCLUDE_CDS