Index: auto-depends/src/main/java/com/sun/hk2/component/SingletonInhabitant.java
===================================================================
--- auto-depends/src/main/java/com/sun/hk2/component/SingletonInhabitant.java	(revision 1646)
+++ auto-depends/src/main/java/com/sun/hk2/component/SingletonInhabitant.java	(working copy)
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@
 import org.jvnet.hk2.component.Singleton;
 import org.jvnet.hk2.component.Inhabitant;
 
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
+
 /**
  * Specialized implementation of {@link ScopedInhabitant} for {@link Singleton}.
  * @author Kohsuke Kawaguchi
@@ -56,27 +58,33 @@
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     @Override
     public T get(Inhabitant onBehalfOf) {
-        if (object==null) {
-            synchronized(this) {
-                if (object==null) {
+        if (object == null) {
+            synchronized (this) {
+                if (object == null) {
+                    if (initializing) {
+                        throw new ComponentException("problem initializing - cycle detected involving: " + this);
+                    }
+                    initializing = true;
 //                  object = womb.get(onBehalfOf);
-                  // we do it in two steps in case there is an initialization error, we 
-                  // want to avoid recursing
-                  object = womb.create(onBehalfOf);
-                  try {
-                    initializing = true;
-                    womb.initialize(object, onBehalfOf);
-                  } catch (Throwable e) {
-                    object = null;
-                    throw (e instanceof ComponentException) ? 
-                        (ComponentException)e : new ComponentException("problem initializing", e);
-                  } finally {
-                    initializing = false;
-                  }
+                    // we do it in two steps in case there is an initialization error, we
+                    // want to avoid recursing
+
+                    // Create a temporary object to avoid the window when object != null && initializing = true
+                    T newObject = womb.create(onBehalfOf);
+                    try {
+                        womb.initialize(newObject, onBehalfOf);
+                    } catch (Throwable e) {
+                        throw (e instanceof ComponentException) ?
+                                (ComponentException) e : new ComponentException("problem initializing", e);
+                    } finally {
+                        initializing = false;
+                    }
+
+                    // Because of the above try/catch, my understanding is compiler won't reorder
+                    // assignment of newObject to object to before try block.
+                    object = newObject;
                 }
             }
-        } else if (initializing) {
-          throw new ComponentException("problem initializing - cycle detected involving: " + this);
         }
         return object;
     }