--- a/graal/com.oracle.graal.api.meta/src/com/oracle/graal/api/meta/ResolvedJavaField.java	Mon Sep 30 09:47:32 2013 +0200
+++ b/graal/com.oracle.graal.api.meta/src/com/oracle/graal/api/meta/ResolvedJavaField.java	Mon Sep 30 09:47:41 2013 +0200
@@ -50,17 +50,21 @@
     boolean isSynthetic();
 
     /**
-     * Gets the constant value of this field for a given object, if available.
+     * Gets the constant value of this field. Note that a {@code static final} field may not be
+     * considered constant if its declaring class is not yet initialized or if it is a well known
+     * field that can be updated via other means (e.g., {@link System#setOut(java.io.PrintStream)}).
      * 
      * @param receiver object from which this field's value is to be read. This value is ignored if
      *            this field is static.
-     * @return the constant value of this field or {@code null} if the constant value is not
-     *         available
+     * @return the constant value of this field or {@code null} if this field is not considered
+     *         constant by the runtime
      */
     Constant readConstantValue(Constant receiver);
 
     /**
-     * Gets the current value of this field for a given object, if available.
+     * Gets the current value of this field for a given object, if available. There is no guarantee
+     * that the same value will be returned by this method for a field unless the field is
+     * considered to be {@link #readConstantValue(Constant)} by the runtime.
      * 
      * @param receiver object from which this field's value is to be read. This value is ignored if
      *            this field is static.

--- a/graal/com.oracle.graal.hotspot/src/com/oracle/graal/hotspot/meta/HotSpotResolvedJavaField.java	Mon Sep 30 09:47:32 2013 +0200
+++ b/graal/com.oracle.graal.hotspot/src/com/oracle/graal/hotspot/meta/HotSpotResolvedJavaField.java	Mon Sep 30 09:47:41 2013 +0200
@@ -169,6 +169,12 @@
 
     private static final String SystemClassName = "Ljava/lang/System;";
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     * <p>
+     * The {@code value} field in {@link OptionValue} is considered constant if the type of
+     * {@code receiver} is (assignable to) {@link StableOptionValue}.
+     */
     @Override
     public Constant readConstantValue(Constant receiver) {
         assert !AOTCompilation.getValue() || isCalledForSnippets() : receiver;
@@ -198,6 +204,7 @@
             } else {
                 Class<?> clazz = object.getClass();
                 if (StableOptionValue.class.isAssignableFrom(clazz)) {
+                    assert getName().equals("value") : "Unexpected field in " + StableOptionValue.class.getName() + " hierarchy:" + this;
                     StableOptionValue<?> option = (StableOptionValue<?>) object;
                     return Constant.forObject(option.getValue());
                 }