diff --git a/hbase-procedure/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure2/ProcedureExecutor.java b/hbase-procedure/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure2/ProcedureExecutor.java
index 8a295f3c793..b5656b47896 100644
--- a/hbase-procedure/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure2/ProcedureExecutor.java
+++ b/hbase-procedure/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure2/ProcedureExecutor.java
@@ -376,6 +376,11 @@ public class ProcedureExecutor<TEnvironment> {
     this(conf, environment, store, new SimpleProcedureScheduler());
   }
 
+  private boolean isRootFinished(Procedure<?> proc) {
+    Procedure<?> rootProc = procedures.get(proc.getRootProcId());
+    return rootProc == null || rootProc.isFinished();
+  }
+
   private void forceUpdateProcedure(long procId) throws IOException {
     IdLock.Entry lockEntry = procExecutionLock.getLockEntry(procId);
     try {
@@ -384,7 +389,9 @@ public class ProcedureExecutor<TEnvironment> {
         LOG.debug("No pending procedure with id = {}, skip force updating.", procId);
         return;
       }
-      if (proc.isFinished()) {
+      // For a sub procedure which root parent has not been finished, we still need to retain the
+      // wal even if the procedure itself is finished.
+      if (proc.isFinished() && (!proc.hasParent() || isRootFinished(proc))) {
         LOG.debug("Procedure {} has already been finished, skip force updating.", proc);
         return;
       }
diff --git a/hbase-procedure/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure2/store/wal/TestForceUpdateProcedure.java b/hbase-procedure/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure2/store/wal/TestForceUpdateProcedure.java
index 0d37b77c669..df6ee51efe3 100644
--- a/hbase-procedure/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure2/store/wal/TestForceUpdateProcedure.java
+++ b/hbase-procedure/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure2/store/wal/TestForceUpdateProcedure.java
@@ -123,7 +123,34 @@ public class TestForceUpdateProcedure {
     @Override
     protected Procedure<Void>[] execute(Void env)
         throws ProcedureYieldException, ProcedureSuspendedException, InterruptedException {
-      return new Procedure[] { new WaitingProcedure() };
+      return new Procedure[] { new DummyProcedure(), new WaitingProcedure() };
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void rollback(Void env) throws IOException, InterruptedException {
+      throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected boolean abort(Void env) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void serializeStateData(ProcedureStateSerializer serializer) throws IOException {
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void deserializeStateData(ProcedureStateSerializer serializer) throws IOException {
+    }
+  }
+
+  public static final class DummyProcedure extends Procedure<Void> {
+
+    @Override
+    protected Procedure<Void>[] execute(Void env)
+        throws ProcedureYieldException, ProcedureSuspendedException, InterruptedException {
+      return null;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -208,10 +235,12 @@ public class TestForceUpdateProcedure {
     createStoreAndExecutor();
     Map<Class<?>, Procedure<Void>> procMap = new HashMap<>();
     EXEC.getActiveProceduresNoCopy().forEach(p -> procMap.put(p.getClass(), p));
-    assertEquals(2, procMap.size());
+    assertEquals(3, procMap.size());
     ParentProcedure parentProc = (ParentProcedure) procMap.get(ParentProcedure.class);
     assertEquals(ProcedureState.WAITING, parentProc.getState());
     WaitingProcedure waitingProc = (WaitingProcedure) procMap.get(WaitingProcedure.class);
     assertEquals(ProcedureState.WAITING_TIMEOUT, waitingProc.getState());
+    DummyProcedure dummyProc = (DummyProcedure) procMap.get(DummyProcedure.class);
+    assertEquals(ProcedureState.SUCCESS, dummyProc.getState());
   }
 }