diff -r e9f07f8aef47 -r f06f1253c317 hotspot/src/share/vm/ci/ciMethod.cpp
--- a/hotspot/src/share/vm/ci/ciMethod.cpp	Thu Dec 02 01:02:55 2010 -0800
+++ b/hotspot/src/share/vm/ci/ciMethod.cpp	Thu Dec 02 17:21:12 2010 -0800
@@ -797,12 +797,13 @@
 
 
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------
-// ciMethod::build_method_data
+// ciMethod::ensure_method_data
 //
 // Generate new methodDataOop objects at compile time.
-void ciMethod::build_method_data(methodHandle h_m) {
+// Return true if allocation was successful or no MDO is required.
+bool ciMethod::ensure_method_data(methodHandle h_m) {
   EXCEPTION_CONTEXT;
-  if (is_native() || is_abstract() || h_m()->is_accessor()) return;
+  if (is_native() || is_abstract() || h_m()->is_accessor()) return true;
   if (h_m()->method_data() == NULL) {
     methodOopDesc::build_interpreter_method_data(h_m, THREAD);
     if (HAS_PENDING_EXCEPTION) {
@@ -812,18 +813,22 @@
   if (h_m()->method_data() != NULL) {
     _method_data = CURRENT_ENV->get_object(h_m()->method_data())->as_method_data();
     _method_data->load_data();
+    return true;
   } else {
     _method_data = CURRENT_ENV->get_empty_methodData();
+    return false;
   }
 }
 
 // public, retroactive version
-void ciMethod::build_method_data() {
+bool ciMethod::ensure_method_data() {
+  bool result = true;
   if (_method_data == NULL || _method_data->is_empty()) {
     GUARDED_VM_ENTRY({
-      build_method_data(get_methodOop());
+      result = ensure_method_data(get_methodOop());
     });
   }
+  return result;
 }
 
 
@@ -839,11 +844,6 @@
   Thread* my_thread = JavaThread::current();
   methodHandle h_m(my_thread, get_methodOop());
 
-  // Create an MDO for the inlinee
-  if (TieredCompilation && is_c1_compile(env->comp_level())) {
-    build_method_data(h_m);
-  }
-
   if (h_m()->method_data() != NULL) {
     _method_data = CURRENT_ENV->get_object(h_m()->method_data())->as_method_data();
     _method_data->load_data();
@@ -854,6 +854,15 @@
 
 }
 
+// ------------------------------------------------------------------
+// ciMethod::method_data_or_null
+// Returns a pointer to ciMethodData if MDO exists on the VM side,
+// NULL otherwise.
+ciMethodData* ciMethod::method_data_or_null() {
+  ciMethodData *md = method_data();
+  if (md->is_empty()) return NULL;
+  return md;
+}
 
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ciMethod::will_link