diff -r 6382fd0ea303 -r 06f7d6e1f654 hotspot/src/share/vm/gc_implementation/shared/vmGCOperations.cpp
--- a/hotspot/src/share/vm/gc_implementation/shared/vmGCOperations.cpp	Fri Mar 28 14:15:03 2014 +0100
+++ b/hotspot/src/share/vm/gc_implementation/shared/vmGCOperations.cpp	Thu Feb 13 10:05:03 2014 +0100
@@ -89,6 +89,15 @@
   assert(((_gc_cause != GCCause::_no_gc) &&
           (_gc_cause != GCCause::_no_cause_specified)), "Illegal GCCause");
 
+  // To be able to handle a GC the VM initialization needs to be completed.
+  if (!is_init_completed()) {
+    vm_exit_during_initialization(
+      err_msg("GC triggered before VM initialization completed. Try increasing "
+              "NewSize, current value " UINTX_FORMAT "%s.",
+              byte_size_in_proper_unit(NewSize),
+              proper_unit_for_byte_size(NewSize)));
+  }
+
   acquire_pending_list_lock();
   // If the GC count has changed someone beat us to the collection
   // Get the Heap_lock after the pending_list_lock.