diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index e855c64120e..681ffaf07f3 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ Release 2.7.0 - UNRELEASED
 
     HDFS-7201. Fix typos in hdfs-default.xml. (Dawson Choong via wheat9)
 
+    HDFS-7190. Bad use of Preconditions in startFileInternal().
+    (Dawson Choong via wheat9)
+
 Release 2.6.0 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
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 e74c2c07f14..c06c54cac73 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
@@ -2648,7 +2648,6 @@ public class FSNamesystem implements Namesystem, FSClusterStats,
           edek.getEncryptedKeyVersion().getMaterial(),
           edek.getEncryptedKeyIv(),
           ezKeyName, edek.getEncryptionKeyVersionName());
-      Preconditions.checkNotNull(feInfo);
     }
 
     final INodeFile myFile = INodeFile.valueOf(inode, src, true);