There’s a reference to a similar problem when recovering from sleep mode
http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=6825897

Maybe running the applet as a app is a way out ?
http://www.wutka.com/hackingjava/ch13.htm Running Applets as Applications
http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Programming/TurningAnApplet/ Turning an Applet into a Standalone Application
http://www.dreamincode.net/code/snippet1607.htm