diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/replication/ReplicationPeerManager.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/replication/ReplicationPeerManager.java
index 716c3898f62..ad37bcc6b09 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/replication/ReplicationPeerManager.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/replication/ReplicationPeerManager.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.DoNotRetryIOException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HBaseConfiguration;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.ReplicationPeerNotFoundException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.ServerName;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.TableName;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.replication.ReplicationPeerConfigUtil;
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ public class ReplicationPeerManager {
   private ReplicationPeerDescription checkPeerExists(String peerId) throws DoNotRetryIOException {
     ReplicationPeerDescription desc = peers.get(peerId);
     if (desc == null) {
-      throw new DoNotRetryIOException("Replication peer " + peerId + " does not exist");
+      throw new ReplicationPeerNotFoundException(peerId);
     }
     return desc;
   }
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAsyncReplicationAdminApi.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAsyncReplicationAdminApi.java
index d7b1263992a..e50b14aa3ff 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAsyncReplicationAdminApi.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestAsyncReplicationAdminApi.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.DoNotRetryIOException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HBaseClassTestRule;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HConstants;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.ReplicationPeerNotFoundException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.ServerName;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.TableName;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.replication.ReplicationException;
@@ -507,4 +508,18 @@ public class TestAsyncReplicationAdminApi extends TestAsyncAdminBase {
       assertThat(e.getCause(), instanceOf(DoNotRetryIOException.class));
     }
   }
+
+  /*
+   * Tests that admin api throws ReplicationPeerNotFoundException if peer doesn't exist.
+   */
+  @Test
+  public void testReplicationPeerNotFoundException() throws InterruptedException {
+    String dummyPeer = "dummy_peer";
+    try {
+      admin.removeReplicationPeer(dummyPeer).get();
+      fail();
+    } catch (ExecutionException e) {
+      assertThat(e.getCause(), instanceOf(ReplicationPeerNotFoundException.class));
+    }
+  }
 }