diff --git a/java/src/jni/h5util.c b/java/src/jni/h5util.c
index 8021438cc86..9a93d5cb1cb 100644
--- a/java/src/jni/h5util.c
+++ b/java/src/jni/h5util.c
@@ -658,8 +658,6 @@ h5str_sprint_reference(JNIEnv *env, h5str_t *out_str, void *ref_p)
 
     int ret_value = FAIL;
 
-    if (!h5str_append(out_str, " \""))
-        H5_ASSERTION_ERROR(ENVONLY, "Unable to append string.");
     buf_size = H5Rget_file_name(ref_vp, NULL, 0);
     if (buf_size) {
         ref_name = (char *)HDmalloc(sizeof(char) * (size_t)buf_size + 1);
@@ -697,8 +695,6 @@ h5str_sprint_reference(JNIEnv *env, h5str_t *out_str, void *ref_p)
             ref_name = NULL;
         }
     }
-    if (!h5str_append(out_str, "\""))
-        H5_ASSERTION_ERROR(ENVONLY, "Unable to append string.");
 
     ret_value = SUCCEED;
 done:
@@ -725,6 +721,10 @@ h5str_region_dataset(JNIEnv *env, h5str_t *out_str, H5R_ref_t *ref_vp, int expan
     if ((new_obj_sid = H5Ropen_region(ref_vp, H5P_DEFAULT, H5P_DEFAULT)) < 0)
         H5_LIBRARY_ERROR(ENVONLY);
 
+    if (expand_data == 0)
+        if (h5str_sprint_reference(ENVONLY, out_str, ref_vp) < 0)
+            CHECK_JNI_EXCEPTION(ENVONLY, JNI_FALSE);
+
     if ((region_type = H5Sget_select_type(new_obj_sid)) > H5S_SEL_ERROR) {
         if (H5S_SEL_POINTS == region_type) {
             if (h5str_dump_region_points(ENVONLY, out_str, new_obj_sid, new_obj_id, expand_data) < 0)