diff -r b2f6b7e00c29 -r 5ba8217eb504 jdk/src/share/classes/javax/management/ImmutableDescriptor.java
--- a/jdk/src/share/classes/javax/management/ImmutableDescriptor.java	Thu Jul 31 14:20:11 2008 +0200
+++ b/jdk/src/share/classes/javax/management/ImmutableDescriptor.java	Thu Jul 31 15:31:13 2008 +0200
@@ -128,13 +128,13 @@
      * @throws InvalidObjectException if the read object has invalid fields.
      */
     private Object readResolve() throws InvalidObjectException {
-        if (names.length == 0 && getClass() == ImmutableDescriptor.class)
-            return EMPTY_DESCRIPTOR;
 
         boolean bad = false;
         if (names == null || values == null || names.length != values.length)
             bad = true;
         if (!bad) {
+            if (names.length == 0 && getClass() == ImmutableDescriptor.class)
+                return EMPTY_DESCRIPTOR;
             final Comparator<String> compare = String.CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER;
             String lastName = ""; // also catches illegal null name
             for (int i = 0; i < names.length; i++) {