diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/jvmci/jvmci_globals.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/jvmci/jvmci_globals.cpp
index 543166ecf9d36..36740560dd23f 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/jvmci/jvmci_globals.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/jvmci/jvmci_globals.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,15 @@ bool JVMCIGlobals::check_jvmci_flags_are_consistent() {
   CHECK_NOT_SET(JVMCIHostThreads,             UseJVMCICompiler)
   CHECK_NOT_SET(LibJVMCICompilerThreadHidden, UseJVMCICompiler)
 
+  if (UseJVMCICompiler) {
+    if (!FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(EnableJVMCI) && !EnableJVMCI) {
+      jio_fprintf(defaultStream::error_stream(),
+          "Improperly specified VM option UseJVMCICompiler: EnableJVMCI cannot be disabled\n");
+      return false;
+    }
+    FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(EnableJVMCI, true);
+  }
+
   if (EnableJVMCI) {
     if (FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(UseJVMCINativeLibrary) && !UseJVMCINativeLibrary) {
       char path[JVM_MAXPATHLEN];
@@ -91,12 +100,6 @@ bool JVMCIGlobals::check_jvmci_flags_are_consistent() {
   }
 
   if (UseJVMCICompiler) {
-    if (!FLAG_IS_DEFAULT(EnableJVMCI) && !EnableJVMCI) {
-      jio_fprintf(defaultStream::error_stream(),
-          "Improperly specified VM option UseJVMCICompiler: EnableJVMCI cannot be disabled\n");
-      return false;
-    }
-    FLAG_SET_DEFAULT(EnableJVMCI, true);
     if (BootstrapJVMCI && UseJVMCINativeLibrary) {
       jio_fprintf(defaultStream::error_stream(), "-XX:+BootstrapJVMCI is not compatible with -XX:+UseJVMCINativeLibrary\n");
       return false;