diff --git a/src/jdk.jdwp.agent/share/native/libjdwp/threadControl.c b/src/jdk.jdwp.agent/share/native/libjdwp/threadControl.c
index 491182a583feb..394071338896e 100644
--- a/src/jdk.jdwp.agent/share/native/libjdwp/threadControl.c
+++ b/src/jdk.jdwp.agent/share/native/libjdwp/threadControl.c
@@ -157,11 +157,20 @@ setThreadLocalStorage(jthread thread, ThreadNode *node)
 
     error = JVMTI_FUNC_PTR(gdata->jvmti,SetThreadLocalStorage)
             (gdata->jvmti, thread, (void*)node);
-    if ( error == JVMTI_ERROR_THREAD_NOT_ALIVE && node == NULL) {
-        /* Just return. This can happen when clearing the TLS. */
-        return;
-    } else if ( error != JVMTI_ERROR_NONE ) {
-        /* The jthread object must be valid, so this must be a fatal error */
+    if (error == JVMTI_ERROR_THREAD_NOT_ALIVE) {
+        if (node == NULL) {
+            // Just return. This can happen when clearing the TLS.
+            return;
+        }
+        if (isVThread(thread)) {
+            // Just return. This can happen with a vthread that is running and we
+            // had to create a ThreadNode for it. By the time we get here, it may
+            // have already terminated.
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+    if (error != JVMTI_ERROR_NONE) {
+        // The jthread object must be valid, so this must be a fatal error.
         EXIT_ERROR(error, "cannot set thread local storage");
     }
 }
@@ -251,9 +260,10 @@ findThread(ThreadList *list, jthread thread)
          * Otherwise the thread should not be on the runningThreads.
          */
         if ( !gdata->jvmtiCallBacksCleared ) {
-            /* The thread better not be on either list if the TLS lookup failed. */
+            // The thread better not be on the runningThreads list if the TLS lookup failed.
+            // It might be on the runningVThreads list because of how ThreadNodes for vthreads
+            // can be recreated just before terminating, so we don't check runningVThreads.
             JDI_ASSERT(!nonTlsSearch(getEnv(), &runningThreads, thread));
-            JDI_ASSERT(!nonTlsSearch(getEnv(), &runningVThreads, thread));
         } else {
             /*
              * Search the runningThreads and runningVThreads lists. The TLS lookup may have