diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/TableDescriptorChecker.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/TableDescriptorChecker.java
index a2ee1ff2559..3852a417751 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/TableDescriptorChecker.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/TableDescriptorChecker.java
@@ -188,6 +188,13 @@ public final class TableDescriptorChecker {
             "  must be greater than zero.";
         warnOrThrowExceptionForFailure(logWarn, message, null);
       }
+
+      // check in-memory compaction
+      try {
+        hcd.getInMemoryCompaction();
+      } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+        warnOrThrowExceptionForFailure(logWarn, e.getMessage(), e);
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestIllegalTableDescriptor.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestIllegalTableDescriptor.java
index e7bc8b3d4b2..e55f3ff6bcc 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestIllegalTableDescriptor.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestIllegalTableDescriptor.java
@@ -151,6 +151,11 @@ public class TestIllegalTableDescriptor {
     hcd.setScope(0);
     checkTableIsLegal(htd);
 
+    hcd.setValue(ColumnFamilyDescriptorBuilder.IN_MEMORY_COMPACTION, "INVALID");
+    checkTableIsIllegal(htd);
+    hcd.setValue(ColumnFamilyDescriptorBuilder.IN_MEMORY_COMPACTION, "NONE");
+    checkTableIsLegal(htd);
+
     try {
       hcd.setDFSReplication((short) -1);
       fail("Illegal value for setDFSReplication did not throw");