diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/AdminService.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/AdminService.java
index bcf7309f883..74c87a2392b 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/AdminService.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/AdminService.java
@@ -286,6 +286,9 @@ public class AdminService extends CompositeService implements
   @Override
   public synchronized void transitionToActive(
       HAServiceProtocol.StateChangeRequestInfo reqInfo) throws IOException {
+    if (isRMActive()) {
+      return;
+    }
     // call refreshAdminAcls before HA state transition
     // for the case that adminAcls have been updated in previous active RM
     try {