diff --git a/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/jdb/kill/kill003/kill003.java b/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/jdb/kill/kill003/kill003.java
index 840e8def8bc40..658f0d91e1550 100644
--- a/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/jdb/kill/kill003/kill003.java
+++ b/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/jdb/kill/kill003/kill003.java
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ public class kill003 extends JdbTest {
     public static void main (String argv[]) {
         debuggeeClass =  DEBUGGEE_CLASS;
         firstBreak = FIRST_BREAK;
+        compoundPromptIdent = COMPOUND_PROMPT_IDENT;
         new kill003().runTest(argv);
     }
 
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ public static void main (String argv[]) {
     static final String MYTHREAD        = "MyThread";
     static final String DEBUGGEE_THREAD = PACKAGE_NAME + "." + MYTHREAD;
     static final String DEBUGGEE_EXCEPTION = DEBUGGEE_CLASS + ".exception";
+    static final String COMPOUND_PROMPT_IDENT = "main";
 
     protected void runCases() {
         String[] reply;
@@ -74,7 +76,10 @@ protected void runCases() {
         // after creating all the threads. Get the list of debuggee threads.
         threads = jdb.getThreadIdsByName("main");
 
-        // Stopped at kill.main, so step into synchronized block
+        // Make sure we stop in jdb when the NPE is thrown or rethrown.
+        reply = jdb.receiveReplyFor(JdbCommand._catch + "all java.lang.NullPointerException");
+
+        // Stopped at kill003a.main(), so step into synchronized block
         reply = jdb.receiveReplyFor(JdbCommand.next);
 
         if (threads.length != 1) {
@@ -83,24 +88,28 @@ protected void runCases() {
             success = false;
         }
 
-        // Execution is at a bytecode that is not expected to handle an async exception.  Throw one here
-        // to make sure it gets handled without crashing.  The exception will be delivered at the next
-        // bytecode that can handle the async exception.
+        // Execution is at a bytecode that is not expected to handle an async exception.
+        // Throw one here to make sure it gets handled without crashing. The exception
+        // will be delivered at the next bytecode that can handle the async exception.
         reply = jdb.receiveReplyForWithMessageWait(JdbCommand.kill + threads[0] + " " + DEBUGGEE_EXCEPTION,
                                                    "killed");
 
         // Continue the debuggee - the async exception will be delivered to the debuggee.
         reply = jdb.receiveReplyFor(JdbCommand.cont);
 
-        // Ask the debuggee for its local variables at the bytecode where the async exception was delivered, which
-        // should be reachable.
+        // jdb got notified of the NPE for the kill command. continue and jdb will get
+        // notified again when it is rethrown from the synchronized block's implicit
+        // exception handler, which is where we want to execute the locals command from.
+        reply = jdb.receiveReplyFor(JdbCommand.cont);
+
+        // Ask the debuggee for its local variables at the bytecode where the async
+        // exception was rethrown, which should be reachable.
         reply = jdb.receiveReplyForWithMessageWait(JdbCommand.locals, "Local variables");
 
         if (jdb.terminated()) {
             throw new Failure("Debuggee exited");
         }
 
-        // The lack of exception handler in the debuggee should cause it to exit when continued.
         jdb.contToExit(1);
     }
 }
diff --git a/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/jdb/kill/kill003/kill003a.java b/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/jdb/kill/kill003/kill003a.java
index 1e72e02a56006..82b5e166db3e7 100644
--- a/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/jdb/kill/kill003/kill003a.java
+++ b/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/jdb/kill/kill003/kill003a.java
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ public class kill003a {
     static NullPointerException exception = new NullPointerException();
 
     public static void main(String args[]) {
-        synchronized (args) {
+        try {
+            synchronized (args) {
+            }
+        } catch (NullPointerException npe) {
         }
         System.out.println("done");
         System.exit(JdbTest.JCK_STATUS_BASE);
diff --git a/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/share/jdb/Jdb.java b/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/share/jdb/Jdb.java
index 7b3281a7e1794..4b77a1acb8631 100644
--- a/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/share/jdb/Jdb.java
+++ b/test/hotspot/jtreg/vmTestbase/nsk/share/jdb/Jdb.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2002, 2024, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2002, 2026, 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
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ public int waitForMessage(int startPos, String message) {
                 return found;
             }
 
-            // spleep for awhile
+            // sleep for awhile
             synchronized(dummy) {
                 try {
                     dummy.wait(delta);
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ int findPrompt(StringBuffer lines, boolean compoundPromptOnly, int startPos) {
         searching:
         for (int pos = startPos; pos < length; ) {
 
-            // skip each simbol not suitable for prompt begin
+            // skip each symbol not suitable for prompt begin
             if (!Character.isLetterOrDigit(lines.charAt(pos))) {
                 pos++;
                 continue searching;