diff --git a/src/jdk.attach/share/classes/sun/tools/attach/HotSpotVirtualMachine.java b/src/jdk.attach/share/classes/sun/tools/attach/HotSpotVirtualMachine.java
index 3e3cb3801032..c15929296e57 100644
--- a/src/jdk.attach/share/classes/sun/tools/attach/HotSpotVirtualMachine.java
+++ b/src/jdk.attach/share/classes/sun/tools/attach/HotSpotVirtualMachine.java
@@ -405,6 +405,10 @@ protected static void checkNulls(Object... args) {
     }
 
     boolean attachOnlyInTmp() {
-        return Boolean.getBoolean("sun.tools.attach.tmp.only");
+        try {
+            return Boolean.getBoolean("sun.tools.attach.tmp.only");
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 }