diff --git a/hbase-rsgroup/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/RSGroupInfoManagerImpl.java b/hbase-rsgroup/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/RSGroupInfoManagerImpl.java
index 9294255abe2..d6618bf9ba4 100644
--- a/hbase-rsgroup/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/RSGroupInfoManagerImpl.java
+++ b/hbase-rsgroup/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/RSGroupInfoManagerImpl.java
@@ -353,7 +353,11 @@ final class RSGroupInfoManagerImpl implements RSGroupInfoManager {
     //Overwrite any info stored by table, this takes precedence
     try {
       if(ZKUtil.checkExists(watcher, groupBasePath) != -1) {
-        for(String znode: ZKUtil.listChildrenAndWatchForNewChildren(watcher, groupBasePath)) {
+        List<String> children = ZKUtil.listChildrenAndWatchForNewChildren(watcher, groupBasePath);
+        if (children == null) {
+          return RSGroupInfoList;
+        }
+        for(String znode: children) {
           byte[] data = ZKUtil.getData(watcher, ZNodePaths.joinZNode(groupBasePath, znode));
           if(data.length > 0) {
             ProtobufUtil.expectPBMagicPrefix(data);
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure/ZKProcedureMemberRpcs.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure/ZKProcedureMemberRpcs.java
index f29d133d843..57d929da545 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure/ZKProcedureMemberRpcs.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/procedure/ZKProcedureMemberRpcs.java
@@ -135,8 +135,12 @@ public class ZKProcedureMemberRpcs implements ProcedureMemberRpcs {
     LOG.debug("Checking for aborted procedures on node: '" + zkController.getAbortZnode() + "'");
     try {
       // this is the list of the currently aborted procedues
-      for (String node : ZKUtil.listChildrenAndWatchForNewChildren(zkController.getWatcher(),
-        zkController.getAbortZnode())) {
+      List<String> children = ZKUtil.listChildrenAndWatchForNewChildren(zkController.getWatcher(),
+                   zkController.getAbortZnode());
+      if (children == null || children.isEmpty()) {
+        return;
+      }
+      for (String node : children) {
         String abortNode = ZNodePaths.joinZNode(zkController.getAbortZnode(), node);
         abort(abortNode);
       }