diff --git a/jcl/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/ref/Reference.java b/jcl/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/ref/Reference.java
index 38e051a7a80..7da2a8faf0d 100644
--- a/jcl/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/ref/Reference.java
+++ b/jcl/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/ref/Reference.java
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public abstract sealed class Reference<T> extends Object permits PhantomReferenc
 
 	private T referent;
 	private ReferenceQueue queue;
-	private int state;
+	private volatile int state;
 
 	/* jdk.lang.ref.disableClearBeforeEnqueue property allow reverting to the old behavior(non clear before enqueue)
 	 *  defer initializing the immutable variable to avoid bootstrap error
@@ -181,9 +181,7 @@ public T get() {
 	@Deprecated(since="16")
 	/*[ENDIF] JAVA_SPEC_VERSION >= 16 */
 	public boolean isEnqueued () {
-		synchronized(this) {
-			return state == STATE_ENQUEUED;
-		}
+		return state == STATE_ENQUEUED;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -206,14 +204,11 @@ boolean enqueueImpl() {
 			if (state == STATE_ENQUEUED || tempQueue == null) {
 				return false;
 			}
-			result = tempQueue.enqueue(this);
-			if (result) {
-				state = STATE_ENQUEUED;
-				if (null != tempReferent) {
-					reprocess();
-				}
+			tempQueue.enqueue(this);
+			if (null != tempReferent) {
+				reprocess();
 			}
-			return result;
+			return true;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -252,13 +247,16 @@ void initReference (T r, ReferenceQueue q) {
 
 	/**
 	 * Called when a Reference has been removed from its ReferenceQueue.
-	 * Set the enqueued field to false.
 	 */
 	void dequeue() {
-		/*[PR 112508] not synchronized, so isEnqueued() could return wrong result */
-		synchronized(this) {
-			state = STATE_CLEARED;
-		}
+		state = STATE_CLEARED;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Called when a Reference has been added to it's ReferenceQueue.
+	 */
+	void setEnqueued() {
+		state = STATE_ENQUEUED;
 	}
 
 	/*[IF JAVA_SPEC_VERSION >= 9]*/
diff --git a/jcl/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/ref/ReferenceQueue.java b/jcl/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/ref/ReferenceQueue.java
index 9e554764578..51baaa620a8 100644
--- a/jcl/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/ref/ReferenceQueue.java
+++ b/jcl/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/ref/ReferenceQueue.java
@@ -195,13 +195,13 @@ public Reference<? extends T> remove(long timeout) throws IllegalArgumentExcepti
  *					true if reference is enqueued.
  *					false if reference failed to enqueue.
  */
-boolean enqueue(Reference<? extends T> reference) {
+void enqueue(Reference<? extends T> reference) {
 	/*[PR CMVC 96472] deadlock loading sun.misc.Cleaner */
 	/*[PR 102259] call Cleaner.clean(), do not enqueue */
 	if (reference instanceof Cleaner) {
 		reference.dequeue();
 		((Cleaner)reference).clean();
-		return true;
+		reference.setEnqueued();
 	}
 	/*[PR 125873] Improve reflection cache */
 	Class refClass = reference.getClass();
@@ -210,18 +210,18 @@ boolean enqueue(Reference<? extends T> reference) {
 	) {
 		reference.dequeue();
 		((Runnable)reference).run();
-		return true;
+		reference.setEnqueued();
 	}
 	synchronized(this) {
 		/*[PR CMVC 181985] Perf: zWAS ftprint regressed 6% Java7 vs 626FP1 -ReferenceQueue */
-		if ( references == null) {
+		if (references == null) {
 			references =  new Reference[DEFAULT_QUEUE_SIZE];
-		} else if(!empty && head == tail) {
+		} else if (!empty && (head == tail)) {
 			/* Queue is full - grow */
 			int newQueueSize = (int)(references.length * 1.10);
 			Reference newQueue[] = new Reference[newQueueSize];
 			System.arraycopy(references, head, newQueue, 0, references.length - head);
-			if(tail > 0) {
+			if (tail > 0) {
 				System.arraycopy(references, 0, newQueue, references.length - head, tail);
 			}
 			head = 0;
@@ -229,13 +229,13 @@ boolean enqueue(Reference<? extends T> reference) {
 			references = newQueue;
 		}
 		references[tail++] = reference;
-		if(tail == references.length) {
+		if (tail == references.length) {
 			tail = 0;
 		}
 		empty = false;
+		reference.setEnqueued();
 		notifyAll();
 	}
-	return true;
 }
 
 void forEach(java.util.function.Consumer<? super Reference<? extends T>> consumer) {