TemplateTable::branch() on x86 has the following code for checking if the MethodCounters exist:

   // check if MethodCounters exists
    Label has_counters;
    __ movptr(rax, Address(rcx, Method::method_counters_offset()));
    __ testptr(rax, rax);
    __ jcc(Assembler::notZero, has_counters);
    __ push(rdx);
    __ push(rcx);
    __ call_VM(noreg, CAST_FROM_FN_PTR(address, InterpreterRuntime::build_method_counters),
               rcx);
    __ pop(rcx);
    __ pop(rdx);
    __ movptr(rax, Address(rcx, Method::method_counters_offset()));
    __ jcc(Assembler::zero, dispatch);
    __ bind(has_counters);

After calling InterpreterRuntime::build_method_counters() and reloading Method::_method_counters there's no test of the loaded value before the branch to 'dispatch'.