--- a/src/hotspot/share/oops/constantPool.cpp	Tue Sep 17 09:51:02 2019 +0200
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/oops/constantPool.cpp	Tue Sep 17 09:51:02 2019 +0200
@@ -866,7 +866,7 @@
   if (cache_index >= 0) {
     result_oop = this_cp->resolved_references()->obj_at(cache_index);
     if (result_oop != NULL) {
-      if (oopDesc::equals(result_oop, Universe::the_null_sentinel())) {
+      if (result_oop == Universe::the_null_sentinel()) {
         DEBUG_ONLY(int temp_index = (index >= 0 ? index : this_cp->object_to_cp_index(cache_index)));
         assert(this_cp->tag_at(temp_index).is_dynamic_constant(), "only condy uses the null sentinel");
         result_oop = NULL;
@@ -1096,12 +1096,12 @@
     } else {
       // Return the winning thread's result.  This can be different than
       // the result here for MethodHandles.
-      if (oopDesc::equals(old_result, Universe::the_null_sentinel()))
+      if (old_result == Universe::the_null_sentinel())
         old_result = NULL;
       return old_result;
     }
   } else {
-    assert(!oopDesc::equals(result_oop, Universe::the_null_sentinel()), "");
+    assert(result_oop != Universe::the_null_sentinel(), "");
     return result_oop;
   }
 }
@@ -1154,7 +1154,7 @@
 oop ConstantPool::string_at_impl(const constantPoolHandle& this_cp, int which, int obj_index, TRAPS) {
   // If the string has already been interned, this entry will be non-null
   oop str = this_cp->resolved_references()->obj_at(obj_index);
-  assert(!oopDesc::equals(str, Universe::the_null_sentinel()), "");
+  assert(str != Universe::the_null_sentinel(), "");
   if (str != NULL) return str;
   Symbol* sym = this_cp->unresolved_string_at(which);
   str = StringTable::intern(sym, CHECK_(NULL));