diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 0073427c217..124dc7839b4 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ Release 0.20.0 - Unreleased
                waiting for ever
    HBASE-1441  NPE in ProcessRegionStatusChange#getMetaRegion
    HBASE-1162  CME in Master in RegionManager.applyActions
+   HBASE-1010  IOE on regionserver shutdown because hadn't opened an HLog
 
   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 91eb46882fd..43435f87b17 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionServer.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionServer.java
@@ -644,7 +644,9 @@ public class HRegionServer implements HConstants, HRegionInterface,
     } else {
       ArrayList<HRegion> closedRegions = closeAllRegions();
       try {
-        hlog.closeAndDelete();
+        if (this.hlog != null) {
+          hlog.closeAndDelete();
+        }
       } catch (Throwable e) {
         LOG.error("Close and delete failed",
           RemoteExceptionHandler.checkThrowable(e));