--- a/src/hotspot/share/oops/klass.cpp	Wed Nov 07 09:58:21 2018 -0800
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/oops/klass.cpp	Wed Nov 07 13:54:22 2018 -0500
@@ -894,9 +894,18 @@
   if (include_parent_loader &&
       !cld->is_builtin_class_loader_data()) {
     oop parent_loader = java_lang_ClassLoader::parent(class_loader());
-    ClassLoaderData *parent_cld = ClassLoaderData::class_loader_data(parent_loader);
-    assert(parent_cld != NULL, "parent's class loader data should not be null");
-    parent_loader_name_and_id = parent_cld->loader_name_and_id();
+    ClassLoaderData *parent_cld = ClassLoaderData::class_loader_data_or_null(parent_loader);
+    // The parent loader's ClassLoaderData could be null if it is
+    // a delegating class loader that has never defined a class.
+    // In this case the loader's name must be obtained via the parent loader's oop.
+    if (parent_cld == NULL) {
+      oop cl_name_and_id = java_lang_ClassLoader::nameAndId(parent_loader);
+      if (cl_name_and_id != NULL) {
+        parent_loader_name_and_id = java_lang_String::as_utf8_string(cl_name_and_id);
+      }
+    } else {
+      parent_loader_name_and_id = parent_cld->loader_name_and_id();
+    }
     parent_loader_phrase = ", parent loader ";
     len += strlen(parent_loader_phrase) + strlen(parent_loader_name_and_id);
   }