diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java
index fbe32c03952..8daa474bab2 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java
@@ -959,6 +959,10 @@ public class FSNamesystem implements Namesystem, FSNamesystemMBean,
       this.leaseRecheckIntervalMs = conf.getLong(
           DFS_NAMENODE_LEASE_RECHECK_INTERVAL_MS_KEY,
           DFS_NAMENODE_LEASE_RECHECK_INTERVAL_MS_DEFAULT);
+      Preconditions.checkArgument(
+              leaseRecheckIntervalMs > 0,
+              DFSConfigKeys.DFS_NAMENODE_LEASE_RECHECK_INTERVAL_MS_KEY +
+                      " must be greater than zero");
       this.maxLockHoldToReleaseLeaseMs = conf.getLong(
           DFS_NAMENODE_MAX_LOCK_HOLD_TO_RELEASE_LEASE_MS_KEY,
           DFS_NAMENODE_MAX_LOCK_HOLD_TO_RELEASE_LEASE_MS_DEFAULT);