oracle/graal · error · IllegalArgumentException

LIRInstructionVerifierPath is not supported in native image

Error message

LIRInstructionVerifierPath is not supported in native image

What it means

The LIR instruction verifier (enabled via the LIRInstructionVerifierPath option) loads verifier classes through a URLClassLoader, which is excluded from native images because of the image-size cost. If compilation code runs inside a native-image runtime (NativeImageSupport.inRuntimeCode()) and the option is set, this factory throws IllegalArgumentException. Outside native images, the same option is legal and lazily initializes the verifiers under a lock.

Source

Thrown at compiler/src/jdk.graal.compiler/src/jdk/graal/compiler/lir/asm/CompilationResultBuilderFactory.java:112

        }

        @Override
        public CompilationResultBuilder createBuilder(CoreProviders providers,
                        FrameMap frameMap,
                        Assembler<?> asm,
                        DataBuilder dataBuilder,
                        FrameContext frameContext,
                        OptionValues options,
                        DebugContext debug,
                        CompilationResult compilationResult,
                        Register uncompressedNullRegister,
                        LIR lir) {
            String lirInstructionVerifierPath = Options.LIRInstructionVerifierPath.getValue(options);
            if (NativeImageSupport.inRuntimeCode()) {
                if (lirInstructionVerifierPath != null) {
                    // LIR instruction verifier uses URLClassLoader which is excluded from
                    // native images due to the image size increase it causes.
                    throw new IllegalArgumentException(Options.LIRInstructionVerifierPath.getName() + " is not supported in native image");
                }
            } else if (!isVerifierInitialized) {
                synchronized (lirInstructionVerifiers) {
                    if (!isVerifierInitialized) {
                        if (lirInstructionVerifierPath != null && !lirInstructionVerifierPath.isEmpty()) {
                            initializeLIRVerifiers(lirInstructionVerifierPath);
                        }
                        isVerifierInitialized = true;
                    }
                }
            }
            return new CompilationResultBuilder(providers,
                            frameMap,
                            asm,
                            dataBuilder,
                            frameContext,
                            options,
                            debug,

View on GitHub (pinned to a66e9ccd1d)

Solutions

1. Remove/unset the LIRInstructionVerifierPath option when running the compiler inside a native image
2. Scope the flag to JVM-mode runs only, e.g., guard your launcher script on whether the runtime is a native image
3. If you need LIR verification, run the same compilation on the JVM (non-native compiler) where URLClassLoader is available

Example fix

# before
native-image -R:graal.LIRInstructionVerifierPath=/verifiers ... # or running a native compiler with the flag

# after
native-image ... # option removed; verifier runs only in JVM mode:
java -Dgraal.LIRInstructionVerifierPath=/verifiers ...

// Before launching the compiler, drop options unsupported in native images
if (System.getProperty("org.graalvm.nativeimage.kind") != null) { // native runtime detected
    clearOption("graal.LIRInstructionVerifierPath");
}

When it happens

Trigger: Setting -Dgraal.LIRInstructionVerifierPath=<path> (or the substratevm equivalent option) on a command line or image-build configuration that runs Graal compilation inside a natively built compiler, e.g., a native-image-compiled compiler (SVM-hosted compilation, libgraal or a native truffle compiler).

Common situations: Carrying a set of tuning flags from JVM-mode debugging (where the verifier works) into a native-image build or a GraalVM edition whose compiler runs natively; CI configs that enable the verifier globally regardless of runtime.

Related errors

• invalid double value: "%s"
• no choice named '%s'
• Option setting has does not match the pattern <name>=<value>
• Delimiter '%s' is repeated contiguously in "%s"
• Could not find option %s (alternates: Option PrintGraphFile

AI-assisted analysis of oracle/graal@a66e9ccd1d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/98ff5beab6ef1003. Report an issue: GitHub.