diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahRegulatorThread.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahRegulatorThread.cpp
index 774c4f7d941..ec4b7c7217c 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahRegulatorThread.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/shenandoah/shenandoahRegulatorThread.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ void ShenandoahRegulatorThread::run_service() {
 
 void ShenandoahRegulatorThread::regulate_young_and_old_cycles() {
   while (!should_terminate()) {
+    SuspendibleThreadSetJoiner joiner;
     ShenandoahGenerationalControlThread::GCMode mode = _control_thread->gc_mode();
     if (mode == ShenandoahGenerationalControlThread::none) {
       if (should_start_metaspace_gc()) {
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ void ShenandoahRegulatorThread::regulate_young_and_old_cycles() {
 
 void ShenandoahRegulatorThread::regulate_young_and_global_cycles() {
   while (!should_terminate()) {
+    SuspendibleThreadSetJoiner joiner;
     if (_control_thread->gc_mode() == ShenandoahGenerationalControlThread::none) {
       if (start_global_cycle()) {
         log_debug(gc)("Heuristics request for global collection accepted.");
@@ -122,6 +124,7 @@ void ShenandoahRegulatorThread::regulator_sleep() {
     _last_sleep_adjust_time = current;
   }
 
+  SuspendibleThreadSetLeaver leaver;
   os::naked_short_sleep(_sleep);
   if (LogTarget(Debug, gc, thread)::is_enabled()) {
     double elapsed = os::elapsedTime() - current;
@@ -146,6 +149,13 @@ bool ShenandoahRegulatorThread::start_global_cycle() const {
 
 bool ShenandoahRegulatorThread::request_concurrent_gc(ShenandoahGeneration* generation) const {
   double now = os::elapsedTime();
+
+  // This call may find the control thread waiting on workers which have suspended
+  // to allow a safepoint to run. If this regulator thread does not yield, the safepoint
+  // will not run. The worker threads won't progress, the control thread won't progress,
+  // and the regulator thread may never yield. Therefore, we leave the suspendible
+  // thread set before making this call.
+  SuspendibleThreadSetLeaver leaver;
   bool accepted = _control_thread->request_concurrent_gc(generation);
   if (LogTarget(Debug, gc, thread)::is_enabled() && accepted) {
     double wait_time = os::elapsedTime() - now;