--- a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/arguments.cpp	Thu Jan 23 19:20:11 2020 -0500
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/arguments.cpp	Thu Jan 23 21:14:16 2020 -0500
@@ -548,6 +548,7 @@
   { "dep > obs",                    JDK_Version::jdk(9), JDK_Version::jdk(8), JDK_Version::undefined() },
   { "dep > exp ",                   JDK_Version::jdk(9), JDK_Version::undefined(), JDK_Version::jdk(8) },
   { "obs > exp ",                   JDK_Version::undefined(), JDK_Version::jdk(9), JDK_Version::jdk(8) },
+  { "obs > exp",                    JDK_Version::jdk(8), JDK_Version::undefined(), JDK_Version::jdk(10) },
   { "not deprecated or obsolete",   JDK_Version::undefined(), JDK_Version::undefined(), JDK_Version::jdk(9) },
   { "dup option",                   JDK_Version::jdk(9), JDK_Version::undefined(), JDK_Version::undefined() },
   { "dup option",                   JDK_Version::jdk(9), JDK_Version::undefined(), JDK_Version::undefined() },
@@ -632,6 +633,18 @@
     if (!flag.obsolete_in.is_undefined()) {
       if (!version_less_than(JDK_Version::current(), flag.obsolete_in)) {
         *version = flag.obsolete_in;
+        // This flag may have been marked for obsoletion in this version, but we may not
+        // have actually removed it yet. Rather than ignoring it as soon as we reach
+        // this version we allow some time for the removal to happen. So if the flag
+        // still actually exists we process it as normal, but issue an adjusted warning.
+        const JVMFlag *real_flag = JVMFlag::find_declared_flag(flag_name);
+        if (real_flag != NULL) {
+          char version_str[256];
+          version->to_string(version_str, sizeof(version_str));
+          warning("Temporarily processing option %s; support is scheduled for removal in %s",
+                  flag_name, version_str);
+          return false;
+        }
         return true;
       }
     }
@@ -692,11 +705,22 @@
 // If there is a semantic error (i.e. a bug in the table) such as the obsoletion
 // version being earlier than the deprecation version, then a warning is issued
 // and verification fails - by returning false. If it is detected that the table
-// is out of date, with respect to the current version, then a warning is issued
-// but verification does not fail. This allows the VM to operate when the version
-// is first updated, without needing to update all the impacted flags at the
-// same time.
-static bool verify_special_jvm_flags() {
+// is out of date, with respect to the current version, then ideally a warning is
+// issued but verification does not fail. This allows the VM to operate when the
+// version is first updated, without needing to update all the impacted flags at
+// the same time. In practice we can't issue the warning immediately when the version
+// is updated as it occurs for every test and some tests are not prepared to handle
+// unexpected output - see 8196739. Instead we only check if the table is up-to-date
+// if the check_globals flag is true, and in addition allow a grace period and only
+// check for stale flags when we hit build 20 (which is far enough into the 6 month
+// release cycle that all flag updates should have been processed, whilst still
+// leaving time to make the change before RDP2).
+// We use a gtest to call this, passing true, so that we can detect stale flags before
+// the end of the release cycle.
+
+static const int SPECIAL_FLAG_VALIDATION_BUILD = 20;
+
+bool Arguments::verify_special_jvm_flags(bool check_globals) {
   bool success = true;
   for (size_t i = 0; special_jvm_flags[i].name != NULL; i++) {
     const SpecialFlag& flag = special_jvm_flags[i];
@@ -729,24 +753,29 @@
       }
 
       // if flag has become obsolete it should not have a "globals" flag defined anymore.
-      if (!version_less_than(JDK_Version::current(), flag.obsolete_in)) {
+      if (check_globals && VM_Version::vm_build_number() >= SPECIAL_FLAG_VALIDATION_BUILD &&
+          !version_less_than(JDK_Version::current(), flag.obsolete_in)) {
         if (JVMFlag::find_declared_flag(flag.name) != NULL) {
-          // Temporarily disable the warning: 8196739
-          // warning("Global variable for obsolete special flag entry \"%s\" should be removed", flag.name);
+          warning("Global variable for obsolete special flag entry \"%s\" should be removed", flag.name);
+          success = false;
         }
       }
+
+    } else if (!flag.expired_in.is_undefined()) {
+      warning("Special flag entry \"%s\" must be explicitly obsoleted before expired.", flag.name);
+      success = false;
     }
 
     if (!flag.expired_in.is_undefined()) {
       // if flag has become expired it should not have a "globals" flag defined anymore.
-      if (!version_less_than(JDK_Version::current(), flag.expired_in)) {
+      if (check_globals && VM_Version::vm_build_number() >= SPECIAL_FLAG_VALIDATION_BUILD &&
+          !version_less_than(JDK_Version::current(), flag.expired_in)) {
         if (JVMFlag::find_declared_flag(flag.name) != NULL) {
-          // Temporarily disable the warning: 8196739
-          // warning("Global variable for expired flag entry \"%s\" should be removed", flag.name);
+          warning("Global variable for expired flag entry \"%s\" should be removed", flag.name);
+          success = false;
         }
       }
     }
-
   }
   return success;
 }
@@ -937,8 +966,17 @@
   const char* real_name = real_flag_name(arg);
   JDK_Version since = JDK_Version();
   switch (is_deprecated_flag(arg, &since)) {
-    case -1:
-      return NULL; // obsolete or expired, don't process normally
+  case -1: {
+      // Obsolete or expired, so don't process normally,
+      // but allow for an obsolete flag we're still
+      // temporarily allowing.
+      if (!is_obsolete_flag(arg, &since)) {
+        return real_name;
+      }
+      // Note if we're not considered obsolete then we can't be expired either
+      // as obsoletion must come first.
+      return NULL;
+    }
     case 0:
       return real_name;
     case 1: {
@@ -3813,7 +3851,7 @@
 // Parse entry point called from JNI_CreateJavaVM
 
 jint Arguments::parse(const JavaVMInitArgs* initial_cmd_args) {
-  assert(verify_special_jvm_flags(), "deprecated and obsolete flag table inconsistent");
+  assert(verify_special_jvm_flags(false), "deprecated and obsolete flag table inconsistent");
 
   // Initialize ranges and constraints
   JVMFlagRangeList::init();

--- a/src/hotspot/share/runtime/arguments.hpp	Thu Jan 23 19:20:11 2020 -0500
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/runtime/arguments.hpp	Thu Jan 23 21:14:16 2020 -0500
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997, 2019, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 1997, 2020, 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
@@ -653,6 +653,8 @@
   static void assert_is_dumping_archive() {
     assert(Arguments::is_dumping_archive(), "dump time only");
   }
+
+  DEBUG_ONLY(static bool verify_special_jvm_flags(bool check_globals);)
 };
 
 // Disable options not supported in this release, with a warning if they

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/test/hotspot/gtest/runtime/test_special_flags.cpp	Thu Jan 23 21:14:16 2020 -0500
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2020, 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.
+ */
+#include "precompiled.hpp"
+#include "unittest.hpp"
+#include "runtime/arguments.hpp"
+
+// Tests Arguments::verify_special_jvm_flags(true)
+// If this test fails it means that an obsoleted or expired flag
+// has not been removed from globals.hpp as it should have been.
+// The test will only fail late in the release cycle as a reminder,
+// in case it has been forgotten.
+#ifdef ASSERT
+TEST_VM(special_flags, verify_special_flags) {
+  ASSERT_TRUE(Arguments::verify_special_jvm_flags(true)) << "Special flag verification failed";
+}
+#endif