diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/AsyncFSWAL.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/AsyncFSWAL.java
index 69d5cba244da..f13160a549a1 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/AsyncFSWAL.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/AsyncFSWAL.java
@@ -772,8 +772,10 @@ protected void doReplaceWriter(Path oldPath, Path newPath, AsyncWriter nextWrite
   @Override
   protected void doShutdown() throws IOException {
     waitForSafePoint();
-    closeWriter(this.writer, getOldPath());
-    this.writer = null;
+    if (this.writer != null) {
+      closeWriter(this.writer, getOldPath());
+      this.writer = null;
+    }
     closeExecutor.shutdown();
     try {
       if (!closeExecutor.awaitTermination(waitOnShutdownInSeconds, TimeUnit.SECONDS)) {