diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/sun/launcher/resources/launcher.properties b/src/java.base/share/classes/sun/launcher/resources/launcher.properties
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/sun/launcher/resources/launcher.properties
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/sun/launcher/resources/launcher.properties
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@
 \                  list the observable modules and exit\n\
 \    -D<name>=<value>\n\
 \                  set a system property\n\
+\    -dryrun\n\
+\                  create VM but do not execute main class\n\
 \    -verbose:[class|gc|jni]\n\
 \                  enable verbose output\n\
 \    -version      print product version and exit\n\
diff --git a/src/java.base/share/native/libjli/java.c b/src/java.base/share/native/libjli/java.c
--- a/src/java.base/share/native/libjli/java.c
+++ b/src/java.base/share/native/libjli/java.c
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@
 static jboolean showVersion = JNI_FALSE;  /* print but continue */
 static jboolean printUsage = JNI_FALSE;   /* print and exit*/
 static jboolean printXUsage = JNI_FALSE;  /* print and exit*/
-static char     *showSettings = NULL;      /* print but continue */
+static jboolean dryRun = JNI_FALSE;       /* initialize VM and exit */
+static char     *showSettings = NULL;     /* print but continue */
 static char     *listModules = NULL;
 
 static const char *_program_name;
@@ -488,14 +489,18 @@
     mainArgs = CreateApplicationArgs(env, argv, argc);
     CHECK_EXCEPTION_NULL_LEAVE(mainArgs);
 
-    /* Invoke main method. */
-    (*env)->CallStaticVoidMethod(env, mainClass, mainID, mainArgs);
+    if (dryRun) {
+        ret = 0;
+    } else {
+        /* Invoke main method. */
+        (*env)->CallStaticVoidMethod(env, mainClass, mainID, mainArgs);
 
-    /*
-     * The launcher's exit code (in the absence of calls to
-     * System.exit) will be non-zero if main threw an exception.
-     */
-    ret = (*env)->ExceptionOccurred(env) == NULL ? 0 : 1;
+        /*
+         * The launcher's exit code (in the absence of calls to
+         * System.exit) will be non-zero if main threw an exception.
+         */
+        ret = (*env)->ExceptionOccurred(env) == NULL ? 0 : 1;
+    }
     LEAVE();
 }
 
@@ -1198,6 +1203,8 @@
             return JNI_TRUE;
         } else if (JLI_StrCmp(arg, "-showversion") == 0) {
             showVersion = JNI_TRUE;
+        } else if (JLI_StrCmp(arg, "-dryrun") == 0) {
+            dryRun = JNI_TRUE;
         } else if (JLI_StrCmp(arg, "-X") == 0) {
             printXUsage = JNI_TRUE;
             return JNI_TRUE;