diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/prims/jvm.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/prims/jvm.cpp
index 7419921cd9a..6abef9c776c 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/prims/jvm.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/prims/jvm.cpp
@@ -2862,9 +2862,10 @@ JVM_ENTRY(void, JVM_StartThread(JNIEnv* env, jobject jthread))
   // We must release the Threads_lock before we can post a jvmti event
   // in Thread::start.
   {
+    MutexLocker throttle_ml(UseThreadsLockThrottleLock ? ThreadsLockThrottle_lock : NULL);
     // Ensure that the C++ Thread and OSThread structures aren't freed before
     // we operate.
-    MutexLocker mu(Threads_lock);
+    MutexLocker ml(Threads_lock);
 
     // Since JDK 5 the java.lang.Thread threadStatus is used to prevent
     // re-starting an already started thread, so we should usually find
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/globals.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/globals.hpp
index aac0dc88482..30dc9dc2e51 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/globals.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/globals.hpp
@@ -2110,6 +2110,10 @@ const intx ObjectAlignmentInBytes = 8;
           "more eagerly at the cost of higher overhead. A value of 0 "      \
           "(default) disables native heap trimming.")                       \
           range(0, UINT_MAX)                                                \
+                                                                            \
+  product(bool, UseThreadsLockThrottleLock, true, DIAGNOSTIC,               \
+          "Use an extra lock during Thread start and exit to alleviate"     \
+          "contention on Threads_lock.")                                    \
 
 // end of RUNTIME_FLAGS
 
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/mutexLocker.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/mutexLocker.cpp
index d503955e2ac..3ce9e8eb469 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/mutexLocker.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/mutexLocker.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ Mutex*   MethodData_lock              = NULL;
 Mutex*   TouchedMethodLog_lock        = NULL;
 Mutex*   RetData_lock                 = NULL;
 Monitor* VMOperation_lock             = NULL;
+Monitor* ThreadsLockThrottle_lock     = NULL;
 Monitor* Threads_lock                 = NULL;
 Mutex*   NonJavaThreadsList_lock      = NULL;
 Mutex*   NonJavaThreadsListSync_lock  = NULL;
@@ -275,6 +276,7 @@ void mutex_init() {
   def(PerfDataManager_lock         , PaddedMutex  , leaf,        true,  _safepoint_check_always); // used for synchronized access to PerfDataManager resources
 
   def(Threads_lock                 , PaddedMonitor, barrier,     true,  _safepoint_check_always);  // Used for safepoint protocol.
+  def(ThreadsLockThrottle_lock     , PaddedMonitor, nonleaf,     false, _safepoint_check_always);
   def(NonJavaThreadsList_lock      , PaddedMutex,   barrier,     true,  _safepoint_check_never);
   def(NonJavaThreadsListSync_lock  , PaddedMutex,   leaf,        true,  _safepoint_check_never);
 
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/mutexLocker.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/mutexLocker.hpp
index 3051d71289d..0a7b6ae9e34 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/mutexLocker.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/mutexLocker.hpp
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ extern Mutex*   MethodData_lock;                 // a lock on installation of me
 extern Mutex*   TouchedMethodLog_lock;           // a lock on allocation of LogExecutedMethods info
 extern Mutex*   RetData_lock;                    // a lock on installation of RetData inside method data
 extern Monitor* VMOperation_lock;                // a lock on queue of vm_operations waiting to execute
+extern Monitor* ThreadsLockThrottle_lock;        // used by Thread start/exit to reduce competition for Threads_lock,
+                                                 // so a VM thread calling a safepoint is prioritized
 extern Monitor* Threads_lock;                    // a lock on the Threads table of active Java threads
                                                  // (also used by Safepoints too to block threads creation/destruction)
 extern Mutex*   NonJavaThreadsList_lock;         // a lock on the NonJavaThreads list
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/thread.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/thread.cpp
index 3905336d40f..ea66d7a7c26 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/thread.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/thread.cpp
@@ -3545,7 +3545,9 @@ void Threads::add(JavaThread* p, bool force_daemon) {
 void Threads::remove(JavaThread* p, bool is_daemon) {
   // Extra scope needed for Thread_lock, so we can check
   // that we do not remove thread without safepoint code notice
-  { MonitorLocker ml(Threads_lock);
+  {
+    MutexLocker throttle_ml(UseThreadsLockThrottleLock ? ThreadsLockThrottle_lock : NULL);
+    MonitorLocker ml(Threads_lock);
 
     // BarrierSet state must be destroyed after the last thread transition
     // before the thread terminates. Thread transitions result in calls to
@@ -3578,7 +3580,7 @@ void Threads::remove(JavaThread* p, bool is_daemon) {
 
     // Notify threads waiting in EscapeBarriers
     EscapeBarrier::thread_removed(p);
-  } // unlock Threads_lock
+  } // unlock Threads_lock and ThreadsLockThrottle_lock
 
   // Reduce the ObjectMonitor ceiling for the exiting thread.
   ObjectSynchronizer::dec_in_use_list_ceiling();