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 8edfb7fcbd2..258cb53186a 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
@@ -3681,7 +3681,8 @@ public boolean isInStartupSafeMode() {
 
   @Override
   public boolean isPopulatingReplQueues() {
-    if (!haContext.getState().shouldPopulateReplQueues()) {
+    if (haContext != null && // null during startup!
+        !haContext.getState().shouldPopulateReplQueues()) {
       return false;
     }
     // safeMode is volatile, and may be set to null at any time