diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/replication/ReplicationAdmin.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/replication/ReplicationAdmin.java
index 1a043082433..1bb18b2b8e2 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/replication/ReplicationAdmin.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/replication/ReplicationAdmin.java
@@ -125,16 +125,31 @@ public class ReplicationAdmin implements Closeable {
           "enable it in order to use replication");
     }
     this.connection = ConnectionFactory.createConnection(conf);
-    zkw = createZooKeeperWatcher();
     try {
-      this.replicationPeers = ReplicationFactory.getReplicationPeers(zkw, conf, this.connection);
-      this.replicationPeers.init();
-      this.replicationQueuesClient =
-          ReplicationFactory.getReplicationQueuesClient(zkw, conf, this.connection);
-      this.replicationQueuesClient.init();
-
-    } catch (ReplicationException e) {
-      throw new IOException("Error initializing the replication admin client.", e);
+      zkw = createZooKeeperWatcher();
+      try {
+        this.replicationPeers = ReplicationFactory.getReplicationPeers(zkw, conf, this.connection);
+        this.replicationPeers.init();
+        this.replicationQueuesClient =
+            ReplicationFactory.getReplicationQueuesClient(zkw, conf, this.connection);
+        this.replicationQueuesClient.init();
+      } catch (Exception exception) {
+        if (zkw != null) {
+          zkw.close();
+        }
+        throw exception;
+      }
+    } catch (Exception exception) {
+      if (connection != null) {
+        connection.close();
+      }
+      if (exception instanceof IOException) {
+        throw (IOException) exception;
+      } else if (exception instanceof RuntimeException) {
+        throw (RuntimeException) exception;
+      } else {
+        throw new IOException("Error initializing the replication admin client.", exception);
+      }
     }
   }