diff --git a/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/systemDictionary.cpp b/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/systemDictionary.cpp
index 84bac6aa55..10746bce49 100644
--- a/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/systemDictionary.cpp
+++ b/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/systemDictionary.cpp
@@ -1907,12 +1907,11 @@ void SystemDictionary::initialize_preloaded_classes(TRAPS) {
   InstanceKlass::cast(WK_KLASS(Reference_klass))->set_reference_type(REF_OTHER);
   InstanceRefKlass::update_nonstatic_oop_maps(WK_KLASS(Reference_klass));
 
-  initialize_wk_klasses_through(WK_KLASS_ENUM_NAME(Cleaner_klass), scan, CHECK);
+  initialize_wk_klasses_through(WK_KLASS_ENUM_NAME(PhantomReference_klass), scan, CHECK);
   InstanceKlass::cast(WK_KLASS(SoftReference_klass))->set_reference_type(REF_SOFT);
   InstanceKlass::cast(WK_KLASS(WeakReference_klass))->set_reference_type(REF_WEAK);
   InstanceKlass::cast(WK_KLASS(FinalReference_klass))->set_reference_type(REF_FINAL);
   InstanceKlass::cast(WK_KLASS(PhantomReference_klass))->set_reference_type(REF_PHANTOM);
-  InstanceKlass::cast(WK_KLASS(Cleaner_klass))->set_reference_type(REF_CLEANER);
 
   // JSR 292 classes
   WKID jsr292_group_start = WK_KLASS_ENUM_NAME(MethodHandle_klass);
diff --git a/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/systemDictionary.hpp b/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/systemDictionary.hpp
index 887fab0232..5ce90823a5 100644
--- a/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/systemDictionary.hpp
+++ b/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/systemDictionary.hpp
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ class Ticks;
   do_klass(WeakReference_klass,                         java_lang_ref_WeakReference,               Pre                 ) \
   do_klass(FinalReference_klass,                        java_lang_ref_FinalReference,              Pre                 ) \
   do_klass(PhantomReference_klass,                      java_lang_ref_PhantomReference,            Pre                 ) \
-  do_klass(Cleaner_klass,                               sun_misc_Cleaner,                          Pre                 ) \
   do_klass(Finalizer_klass,                             java_lang_ref_Finalizer,                   Pre                 ) \
                                                                                                                          \
   do_klass(Thread_klass,                                java_lang_Thread,                          Pre                 ) \
diff --git a/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/vmSymbols.hpp b/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/vmSymbols.hpp
index 2a438dccdc..1b3b50c7f1 100644
--- a/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/vmSymbols.hpp
+++ b/hotspot/src/share/vm/classfile/vmSymbols.hpp
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@
   template(java_lang_ref_WeakReference,               "java/lang/ref/WeakReference")              \
   template(java_lang_ref_FinalReference,              "java/lang/ref/FinalReference")             \
   template(java_lang_ref_PhantomReference,            "java/lang/ref/PhantomReference")           \
-  template(sun_misc_Cleaner,                          "sun/misc/Cleaner")                         \
   template(java_lang_ref_Finalizer,                   "java/lang/ref/Finalizer")                  \
   template(java_lang_reflect_AccessibleObject,        "java/lang/reflect/AccessibleObject")       \
   template(java_lang_reflect_Method,                  "java/lang/reflect/Method")                 \
diff --git a/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceProcessor.cpp b/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceProcessor.cpp
index 12a99921dd..5f9d800128 100644
--- a/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceProcessor.cpp
+++ b/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceProcessor.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ ReferenceProcessor::ReferenceProcessor(MemRegion span,
   _discoveredWeakRefs    = &_discoveredSoftRefs[_max_num_q];
   _discoveredFinalRefs   = &_discoveredWeakRefs[_max_num_q];
   _discoveredPhantomRefs = &_discoveredFinalRefs[_max_num_q];
-  _discoveredCleanerRefs = &_discoveredPhantomRefs[_max_num_q];
 
   // Initialize all entries to NULL
   for (uint i = 0; i < _max_num_q * number_of_subclasses_of_ref(); i++) {
@@ -245,14 +244,7 @@ ReferenceProcessorStats ReferenceProcessor::process_discovered_references(
   {
     GCTraceTime tt("PhantomReference", trace_time, false, gc_timer, gc_id);
     phantom_count =
-      process_discovered_reflist(_discoveredPhantomRefs, NULL, false,
-                                 is_alive, keep_alive, complete_gc, task_executor);
-
-    // Process cleaners, but include them in phantom statistics.  We expect
-    // Cleaner references to be temporary, and don't want to deal with
-    // possible incompatibilities arising from making it more visible.
-    phantom_count +=
-      process_discovered_reflist(_discoveredCleanerRefs, NULL, false,
+      process_discovered_reflist(_discoveredPhantomRefs, NULL, true,
                                  is_alive, keep_alive, complete_gc, task_executor);
   }
 
@@ -891,7 +883,6 @@ void ReferenceProcessor::balance_all_queues() {
   balance_queues(_discoveredWeakRefs);
   balance_queues(_discoveredFinalRefs);
   balance_queues(_discoveredPhantomRefs);
-  balance_queues(_discoveredCleanerRefs);
 }
 
 size_t
@@ -1051,9 +1042,6 @@ inline DiscoveredList* ReferenceProcessor::get_discovered_list(ReferenceType rt)
     case REF_PHANTOM:
       list = &_discoveredPhantomRefs[id];
       break;
-    case REF_CLEANER:
-      list = &_discoveredCleanerRefs[id];
-      break;
     case REF_NONE:
       // we should not reach here if we are an InstanceRefKlass
     default:
@@ -1319,17 +1307,6 @@ void ReferenceProcessor::preclean_discovered_references(
       preclean_discovered_reflist(_discoveredPhantomRefs[i], is_alive,
                                   keep_alive, complete_gc, yield);
     }
-
-    // Cleaner references.  Included in timing for phantom references.  We
-    // expect Cleaner references to be temporary, and don't want to deal with
-    // possible incompatibilities arising from making it more visible.
-    for (uint i = 0; i < _max_num_q; i++) {
-      if (yield->should_return()) {
-        return;
-      }
-      preclean_discovered_reflist(_discoveredCleanerRefs[i], is_alive,
-                                  keep_alive, complete_gc, yield);
-    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -1398,7 +1375,6 @@ const char* ReferenceProcessor::list_name(uint i) {
      case 1: return "WeakRef";
      case 2: return "FinalRef";
      case 3: return "PhantomRef";
-     case 4: return "CleanerRef";
    }
    ShouldNotReachHere();
    return NULL;
diff --git a/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceProcessor.hpp b/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceProcessor.hpp
index b45ef354e3..0fba558fde 100644
--- a/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceProcessor.hpp
+++ b/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceProcessor.hpp
@@ -264,10 +264,9 @@ class ReferenceProcessor : public CHeapObj<mtGC> {
   DiscoveredList* _discoveredWeakRefs;
   DiscoveredList* _discoveredFinalRefs;
   DiscoveredList* _discoveredPhantomRefs;
-  DiscoveredList* _discoveredCleanerRefs;
 
  public:
-  static int number_of_subclasses_of_ref() { return (REF_CLEANER - REF_OTHER); }
+  static int number_of_subclasses_of_ref() { return (REF_PHANTOM - REF_OTHER); }
 
   uint num_q()                             { return _num_q; }
   uint max_num_q()                         { return _max_num_q; }
diff --git a/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceType.hpp b/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceType.hpp
index 6ce944c0e7..9496e41ed9 100644
--- a/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceType.hpp
+++ b/hotspot/src/share/vm/memory/referenceType.hpp
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ enum ReferenceType {
   REF_SOFT,      // Subclass of java/lang/ref/SoftReference
   REF_WEAK,      // Subclass of java/lang/ref/WeakReference
   REF_FINAL,     // Subclass of java/lang/ref/FinalReference
-  REF_PHANTOM,   // Subclass of java/lang/ref/PhantomReference
-  REF_CLEANER    // Subclass of sun/misc/Cleaner
+  REF_PHANTOM    // Subclass of java/lang/ref/PhantomReference
 };
 
 #endif // SHARE_VM_MEMORY_REFRERENCETYPE_HPP
diff --git a/hotspot/src/share/vm/runtime/vmStructs.cpp b/hotspot/src/share/vm/runtime/vmStructs.cpp
index 42c56236e9..b707d3fe00 100644
--- a/hotspot/src/share/vm/runtime/vmStructs.cpp
+++ b/hotspot/src/share/vm/runtime/vmStructs.cpp
@@ -671,7 +671,6 @@ typedef BinaryTreeDictionary<Metablock, FreeList<Metablock> > MetablockTreeDicti
       static_field(SystemDictionary,            WK_KLASS(WeakReference_klass),                 Klass*)                               \
       static_field(SystemDictionary,            WK_KLASS(FinalReference_klass),                Klass*)                               \
       static_field(SystemDictionary,            WK_KLASS(PhantomReference_klass),              Klass*)                               \
-      static_field(SystemDictionary,            WK_KLASS(Cleaner_klass),                       Klass*)                               \
       static_field(SystemDictionary,            WK_KLASS(Finalizer_klass),                     Klass*)                               \
       static_field(SystemDictionary,            WK_KLASS(Thread_klass),                        Klass*)                               \
       static_field(SystemDictionary,            WK_KLASS(ThreadGroup_klass),                   Klass*)                               \
diff --git a/jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/ref/PhantomReference.java b/jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/ref/PhantomReference.java
index 1c1364aff0..25ea436550 100644
--- a/jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/ref/PhantomReference.java
+++ b/jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/ref/PhantomReference.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997, 2003, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 1997, 2015, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -29,23 +29,20 @@
 /**
  * Phantom reference objects, which are enqueued after the collector
  * determines that their referents may otherwise be reclaimed.  Phantom
- * references are most often used for scheduling pre-mortem cleanup actions in
- * a more flexible way than is possible with the Java finalization mechanism.
+ * references are most often used to schedule post-mortem cleanup actions.
  *
- * <p> If the garbage collector determines at a certain point in time that the
- * referent of a phantom reference is <a
- * href="package-summary.html#reachability">phantom reachable</a>, then at that
- * time or at some later time it will enqueue the reference.
+ * <p> Suppose the garbage collector determines at a certain point in time
+ * that an object is <a href="package-summary.html#reachability">
+ * phantom reachable</a>.  At that time it will atomically clear
+ * all phantom references to that object and all phantom references to
+ * any other phantom-reachable objects from which that object is reachable.
+ * At the same time or at some later time it will enqueue those newly-cleared
+ * phantom references that are registered with reference queues.
  *
  * <p> In order to ensure that a reclaimable object remains so, the referent of
  * a phantom reference may not be retrieved: The <code>get</code> method of a
  * phantom reference always returns <code>null</code>.
  *
- * <p> Unlike soft and weak references, phantom references are not
- * automatically cleared by the garbage collector as they are enqueued.  An
- * object that is reachable via phantom references will remain so until all
- * such references are cleared or themselves become unreachable.
- *
  * @author   Mark Reinhold
  * @since    1.2
  */
@@ -69,8 +66,8 @@ public T get() {
      *
      * <p> It is possible to create a phantom reference with a <tt>null</tt>
      * queue, but such a reference is completely useless: Its <tt>get</tt>
-     * method will always return null and, since it does not have a queue, it
-     * will never be enqueued.
+     * method will always return {@code null} and, since it does not have a queue,
+     * it will never be enqueued.
      *
      * @param referent the object the new phantom reference will refer to
      * @param q the queue with which the reference is to be registered,
diff --git a/jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/ref/package.html b/jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/ref/package.html
index f22a455f6a..4623181309 100644
--- a/jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/ref/package.html
+++ b/jdk/src/share/classes/java/lang/ref/package.html
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <!--
- Copyright (c) 1998, 2003, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ Copyright (c) 1998, 2015, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
 
  This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -46,8 +46,7 @@ <h2>Package Specification</h2>
 references are for implementing memory-sensitive caches, weak references are
 for implementing canonicalizing mappings that do not prevent their keys (or
 values) from being reclaimed, and phantom references are for scheduling
-pre-mortem cleanup actions in a more flexible way than is possible with the
-Java finalization mechanism.
+post-mortem cleanup actions.
 
 <p> Each reference-object type is implemented by a subclass of the abstract
 base <code>{@link java.lang.ref.Reference}</code> class.  An instance of one of
@@ -66,9 +65,10 @@ <h3>Notification</h3>
 <em>registering</em> an appropriate reference object with a <em>reference
 queue</em> at the time the reference object is created.  Some time after the
 garbage collector determines that the reachability of the referent has changed
-to the value corresponding to the type of the reference, it will add the
-reference to the associated queue.  At this point, the reference is considered
-to be <em>enqueued</em>.  The program may remove references from a queue either
+to the value corresponding to the type of the reference, it will clear the
+reference and add it to the associated queue.  At this point, the
+reference is considered to be <em>enqueued</em>.  The program may remove
+references from a queue either
 by polling or by blocking until a reference becomes available.  Reference
 queues are implemented by the <code>{@link java.lang.ref.ReferenceQueue}</code>
 class.
@@ -91,17 +91,6 @@ <h3>Notification</h3>
 checks an internal data structure, this check will add little overhead to the
 hashtable access methods.
 
-
-<h3>Automatically-cleared references</h3>
-
-Soft and weak references are automatically cleared by the collector before
-being added to the queues with which they are registered, if any.  Therefore
-soft and weak references need not be registered with a queue in order to be
-useful, while phantom references do.  An object that is reachable via phantom
-references will remain so until all such references are cleared or themselves
-become unreachable.
-
-
 <a name="reachability"></a>
 <h3>Reachability</h3>
 
diff --git a/jdk/test/java/lang/ref/PhantomReferentClearing.java b/jdk/test/java/lang/ref/PhantomReferentClearing.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7d126c7b23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jdk/test/java/lang/ref/PhantomReferentClearing.java
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2015, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
+ *
+ * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
+ * accompanied this code).
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
+ * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
+ * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
+ * questions.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @test
+ * @bug 8071507
+ * @summary Test that PhantomReferences are cleared when notified.
+ * @run main/othervm PhantomReferentClearing
+ */
+
+import java.lang.ref.PhantomReference;
+import java.lang.ref.ReferenceQueue;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+public class PhantomReferentClearing {
+
+    private static final long ENQUEUE_TIMEOUT = 1000;   // 1 sec, in millis
+
+    // P1 & P2 are PhantomReference objects
+    // O1 & O2 are objects
+    //
+    // -> is a strong reference
+    // => is a referent reference
+    //
+    //   root -> P1
+    //   root -> P2
+    //   root -> O1
+    //   root -> O2
+    //   O1 -> O2
+    //   P1 => O1
+    //   P2 => O2
+    //
+    // (1) Remove root -> O1 and collect.  P1 notified, P2 !notified.
+    // (2) Remove root -> O2 and collect.
+    //
+    // If phantom references are cleared when notified, as proposed by
+    // 8071507, then P2 should be notified, and the test passes.
+    //
+    // Otherwise, P2 does not get notified because it remains reachable
+    // from O1, which is being retained by P1.  This fails the test.
+
+    private static final ReferenceQueue<Object> Q1 = new ReferenceQueue<>();
+    private static final ReferenceQueue<Object> Q2 = new ReferenceQueue<>();
+
+    private static volatile Object O2 = new Object();
+    private static volatile List<Object> O1 = new ArrayList<>();
+    static {
+        O1.add(O2);
+    }
+
+    private static final PhantomReference<Object> P1 = new PhantomReference<>(O1, Q1);
+    private static final PhantomReference<Object> P2 = new PhantomReference<>(O2, Q2);
+
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {
+
+        // Collect, and verify neither P1 or P2 notified.
+        System.gc();
+        if (Q1.remove(ENQUEUE_TIMEOUT) != null) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("P1 already notified");
+        } else if (Q2.poll() != null) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("P2 already notified");
+        }
+
+        // Delete root -> O1, collect, verify P1 notified, P2 not notified.
+        O1 = null;
+        System.gc();
+        if (Q1.remove(ENQUEUE_TIMEOUT) == null) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("P1 not notified by O1 deletion");
+        } else if (Q2.remove(ENQUEUE_TIMEOUT) != null) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("P2 notified by O1 deletion.");
+        }
+
+        // Delete root -> O2, collect. P2 should be notified.
+        O2 = null;
+        System.gc();
+        if (Q2.remove(ENQUEUE_TIMEOUT) == null) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("P2 not notified by O2 deletion");
+        }
+    }
+}