diff --git a/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/FinalizePrivateFields.java b/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/FinalizePrivateFields.java
index d698f8a21a..95efde2725 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/FinalizePrivateFields.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/FinalizePrivateFields.java
@@ -92,6 +92,16 @@ public J.VariableDeclarations visitVariableDeclarations(J.VariableDeclarations m
                     .map(J.VariableDeclarations.NamedVariable::getVariableType)
                     .allMatch(v -> privateFieldsToBeFinalized.contains(v));
 
+                // makes sure the final flag is not also added to variables that have the volatile flag
+                for (J.VariableDeclarations.NamedVariable v : mv.getVariables()) {
+                    if (v.getVariableType() == null) { break; }
+                    for (Flag flag : v.getVariableType().getFlags()) {
+                        if (flag.equals(Flag.Volatile)) {
+                            return mv;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
                 if (canAllVariablesBeFinalized) {
                     mv = autoFormat(mv.withVariables(ListUtils.map(mv.getVariables(), v -> {
                         JavaType.Variable type = v.getVariableType();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/FinalizePrivateFieldsTest.java b/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/FinalizePrivateFieldsTest.java
index f71a84ef2e..1aa1b33559 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/FinalizePrivateFieldsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/FinalizePrivateFieldsTest.java
@@ -836,4 +836,24 @@ class Reproducer {
           )
         );
     }
+
+    @Test
+    @Issue("https://github.com/openrewrite/rewrite-static-analysis/issues/121")
+    void mustNotChangeVolatileFields() {
+        //language=java
+        rewriteRun(
+          java(
+            """
+              public final class Reproducer {
+              
+                  private Reproducer() {
+                  }
+              
+                  private static volatile String foo = "this becomes final volatile, which is invalid";
+              
+              }
+              """
+          )
+        );
+    }
 }