SUGGESTED FIX

--- a/src/share/classes/sun/reflect/annotation/AnnotationParser.java
+++ b/src/share/classes/sun/reflect/annotation/AnnotationParser.java
@@ -788,4 +788,16 @@ public class AnnotationParser {
         for (int i = 0; i < length; i++)
             skipMemberValue(buf);
     }
+
+    /*
+     * This method converts the annotation map returned by the parseAnnotations() 
+     * method to an array.  It is called by Field.getDeclaredAnnotations(),
+     * Method.getDeclaredAnnotations(), and Constructor.getDeclaredAnnotations().
+     * This avoids the reflection classes to load the Annotation class until 
+     * it is needed.
+     */
+    private static final Annotation[] EMPTY_ANNOTATION_ARRAY = new Annotation[0];
+    public static Annotation[] toArray(Map<Class, Annotation> annotations) {
+        return annotations.values().toArray(EMPTY_ANNOTATION_ARRAY);
+    }
 }

--- a/src/share/classes/java/lang/Class.java
+++ b/src/share/classes/java/lang/Class.java
@@ -3059,14 +3059,12 @@ public final
     }
 
 
-    private static Annotation[] EMPTY_ANNOTATIONS_ARRAY = new Annotation[0];
-
     /**
      * @since 1.5
      */
     public Annotation[] getAnnotations() {
         initAnnotationsIfNecessary();
-        return annotations.values().toArray(EMPTY_ANNOTATIONS_ARRAY);
+        return AnnotationParser.toArray(annotations);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3074,7 +3072,7 @@ public final
      */
     public Annotation[] getDeclaredAnnotations()  {
         initAnnotationsIfNecessary();
-        return declaredAnnotations.values().toArray(EMPTY_ANNOTATIONS_ARRAY);
+        return AnnotationParser.toArray(declaredAnnotations);
     }
 

--- a/src/share/classes/java/lang/reflect/Field.java
+++ b/src/share/classes/java/lang/reflect/Field.java
@@ -1018,13 +1018,11 @@ class Field extends AccessibleObject imp
         return (T) declaredAnnotations().get(annotationClass);
     }
 
-    private static final Annotation[] EMPTY_ANNOTATION_ARRAY=new Annotation[0];
-
     /**
      * @since 1.5
      */
     public Annotation[] getDeclaredAnnotations()  {
-        return declaredAnnotations().values().toArray(EMPTY_ANNOTATION_ARRAY);
+        return AnnotationParser.toArray(declaredAnnotations());
     }


--- a/src/share/classes/java/lang/reflect/Method.java
+++ b/src/share/classes/java/lang/reflect/Method.java
@@ -705,13 +705,11 @@ public final
         return (T) declaredAnnotations().get(annotationClass);
     }
 
-    private static final Annotation[] EMPTY_ANNOTATION_ARRAY=new Annotation[0];
-
     /**
      * @since 1.5
      */
     public Annotation[] getDeclaredAnnotations()  {
-        return declaredAnnotations().values().toArray(EMPTY_ANNOTATION_ARRAY);
+        return AnnotationParser.toArray(declaredAnnotations());
     }
 

--- a/src/share/classes/java/lang/reflect/Constructor.java
+++ b/src/share/classes/java/lang/reflect/Constructor.java
@@ -626,13 +626,11 @@ public final
         return (T) declaredAnnotations().get(annotationClass);
     }
 
-    private static final Annotation[] EMPTY_ANNOTATION_ARRAY=new Annotation[0];
-
     /**
      * @since 1.5
      */
     public Annotation[] getDeclaredAnnotations()  {
-        return declaredAnnotations().values().toArray(EMPTY_ANNOTATION_ARRAY);
+        return AnnotationParser.toArray(declaredAnnotations());
     }
                                     

EVALUATION

Instantiates the static field EMPTY_ANNOTATION_ARRAY only when the getAnnotations or getDeclaredAnnotation method is called in Class, Method, Field, and Constructor classes.