diff --git a/src/classpath-openjdk.cpp b/src/classpath-openjdk.cpp
index c18445d298..bb4bdb33e4 100644
--- a/src/classpath-openjdk.cpp
+++ b/src/classpath-openjdk.cpp
@@ -1084,14 +1084,14 @@ interceptFileOperations(Thread* t)
       (t, root(t, Machine::BootLoader), "java/io/FileInputStream");
     if (fileInputStreamClass == 0) return;
 
+    PROTECT(t, fileInputStreamClass);
+
     object fileInputStreamFdField = findFieldInClass2
       (t, fileInputStreamClass, "fd", "Ljava/io/FileDescriptor;");
     if (fileInputStreamFdField == 0) return;
 
     cp->fileInputStreamFdField = fieldOffset(t, fileInputStreamFdField);
 
-    PROTECT(t, fileInputStreamClass);
-
     intercept(t, fileInputStreamClass, "open", "(Ljava/lang/String;)V",
               voidPointer(openFile));
   
diff --git a/src/machine.cpp b/src/machine.cpp
index ddf27487b1..98835556bf 100644
--- a/src/machine.cpp
+++ b/src/machine.cpp
@@ -1903,14 +1903,15 @@ bootJavaClass(Thread* t, Machine::Type type, int superType, const char* name,
   PROTECT(t, bootMethod);
 
   object n = makeByteArray(t, name);
+  PROTECT(t, n);
+
   object class_ = vm::type(t, type);
+  PROTECT(t, class_);
 
   set(t, class_, ClassName, n);
 
   object vtable;
   if (vtableLength >= 0) {
-    PROTECT(t, class_);
-
     vtable = makeArray(t, vtableLength);
     for (int i = 0; i < vtableLength; ++ i) {
       arrayBody(t, vtable, i) = bootMethod;
diff --git a/src/machine.h b/src/machine.h
index 984d4e54db..fbb5771c8c 100644
--- a/src/machine.h
+++ b/src/machine.h
@@ -1513,7 +1513,8 @@ shutDown(Thread* t);
 inline void
 stress(Thread* t)
 {
-  if ((t->flags & (Thread::StressFlag | Thread::TracingFlag)) == 0
+  if ((not t->m->unsafe)
+      and (t->flags & (Thread::StressFlag | Thread::TracingFlag)) == 0
       and t->state != Thread::NoState
       and t->state != Thread::IdleState)
   {
@@ -3166,10 +3167,10 @@ getMethodRuntimeData(Thread* t, object method)
 inline object
 getJClass(Thread* t, object c)
 {
+  PROTECT(t, c);
+
   object jclass = classRuntimeDataJclass(t, getClassRuntimeData(t, c));
   if (jclass == 0) {
-    PROTECT(t, c);
-
     ACQUIRE(t, t->m->classLock);
 
     jclass = classRuntimeDataJclass(t, getClassRuntimeData(t, c));