diff --git a/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/RealtimeIndexTask.java b/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/RealtimeIndexTask.java
index f89f72b7eca..3c893a5a40b 100644
--- a/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/RealtimeIndexTask.java
+++ b/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/RealtimeIndexTask.java
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ public class RealtimeIndexTask extends AbstractTask
   @JsonIgnore
   private volatile GracefulShutdownFirehose firehose = null;
 
+  @JsonIgnore
+  private final Object lock = new Object();
+
+  @JsonIgnore
+  private volatile boolean shutdown = false;
+
   private static final EmittingLogger log = new EmittingLogger(RealtimeIndexTask.class);
 
   @JsonCreator
@@ -126,7 +132,13 @@ public class RealtimeIndexTask extends AbstractTask
 
     final FireDepartmentMetrics metrics = new FireDepartmentMetrics();
     final Period intermediatePersistPeriod = fireDepartmentConfig.getIntermediatePersistPeriod();
-    firehose = new GracefulShutdownFirehose(firehoseFactory.connect(), segmentGranularity, windowPeriod);
+
+    synchronized (lock) {
+      firehose = new GracefulShutdownFirehose(firehoseFactory.connect(), segmentGranularity, windowPeriod);
+      if (shutdown) {
+        firehose.shutdown();
+      }
+    }
 
     // TODO -- Take PlumberSchool in constructor (although that will need jackson injectables for stuff like
     // TODO -- the ServerView, which seems kind of odd?)
@@ -273,7 +285,12 @@ public class RealtimeIndexTask extends AbstractTask
   public void shutdown()
   {
     try {
-      firehose.shutdown();
+      synchronized (lock) {
+        shutdown = true;
+        if (firehose != null) {
+          firehose.shutdown();
+        }
+      }
     }
     catch (IOException e) {
       throw Throwables.propagate(e);