diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/RSRpcServices.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/RSRpcServices.java
index b13ff64d5b2..a599d160ecc 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/RSRpcServices.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/RSRpcServices.java
@@ -2089,6 +2089,7 @@ public class RSRpcServices extends HBaseRpcServicesBase<HRegionServer>
       final ReplicateWALEntryRequest request) throws ServiceException {
     long before = EnvironmentEdgeManager.currentTime();
     CellScanner cells = ((HBaseRpcController) controller).cellScanner();
+    ((HBaseRpcController) controller).setCellScanner(null);
     try {
       checkOpen();
       List<WALEntry> entries = request.getEntryList();
@@ -2209,6 +2210,7 @@ public class RSRpcServices extends HBaseRpcServicesBase<HRegionServer>
         List<WALEntry> entries = request.getEntryList();
         checkShouldRejectReplicationRequest(entries);
         CellScanner cellScanner = ((HBaseRpcController) controller).cellScanner();
+        ((HBaseRpcController) controller).setCellScanner(null);
         server.getRegionServerCoprocessorHost().preReplicateLogEntries();
         server.getReplicationSinkService().replicateLogEntries(entries, cellScanner,
           request.getReplicationClusterId(), request.getSourceBaseNamespaceDirPath(),