diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 24be1ace782..4399e2f98d8 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ Release 0.20.0 - Unreleased
                and merge tool
    HBASE-1531  Change new Get to use new filter API
    HBASE-1549  in zookeeper.sh, use localhost instead of 127.0.0.1
+   HBASE-1534  Got ZooKeeper event, state: Disconnected on HRS and then NPE on
+               reinit
 
   IMPROVEMENTS
    HBASE-1089  Add count of regions on filesystem to master UI; add percentage
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionServer.java b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionServer.java
index dd682af856e..b547d73b274 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionServer.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionServer.java
@@ -1311,9 +1311,11 @@ public class HRegionServer implements HConstants, HRegionInterface,
    * Run initialization using parameters passed us by the master.
    */
   private MapWritable reportForDuty() {
-    if (!getMaster()) {
-      return null;
+    while (!getMaster()) {
+      sleeper.sleep();
+      LOG.warn("Unable to get master for initialization");
     }
+
     MapWritable result = null;
     long lastMsg = 0;
     while(!stopRequested.get()) {