diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileReaderV1.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileReaderV1.java
index 16dc2e38c2f..56339da36bd 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileReaderV1.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileReaderV1.java
@@ -684,8 +684,9 @@ public class HFileReaderV1 extends AbstractHFileReader {
 
   @Override
   public DataInput getGeneralBloomFilterMetadata() throws IOException {
-    // Always cache Bloom filter blocks.
-    ByteBuffer buf = getMetaBlock(HFileWriterV1.BLOOM_FILTER_META_KEY, true);
+    // Shouldn't cache Bloom filter blocks, otherwise server would abort when
+    // splitting, see HBASE-6479
+    ByteBuffer buf = getMetaBlock(HFileWriterV1.BLOOM_FILTER_META_KEY, false);
     if (buf == null)
       return null;
     ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(buf.array(),
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HBaseTestingUtility.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HBaseTestingUtility.java
index 8c406664598..4c813bbfce7 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HBaseTestingUtility.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/HBaseTestingUtility.java
@@ -1093,7 +1093,6 @@ public class HBaseTestingUtility {
     return rowCount;
   }
 
-
   /**
    * Load table of multiple column families with rows from 'aaa' to 'zzz'.
    * @param t Table
@@ -1124,15 +1123,19 @@ public class HBaseTestingUtility {
     return rowCount;
   }
 
+  public int loadRegion(final HRegion r, final byte[] f) throws IOException {
+    return loadRegion(r, f, false);
+  }
 
   /**
    * Load region with rows from 'aaa' to 'zzz'.
    * @param r Region
    * @param f Family
+   * @param flush flush the cache if true
    * @return Count of rows loaded.
    * @throws IOException
    */
-  public int loadRegion(final HRegion r, final byte[] f)
+  public int loadRegion(final HRegion r, final byte[] f, final boolean flush)
   throws IOException {
     byte[] k = new byte[3];
     int rowCount = 0;
@@ -1149,6 +1152,9 @@ public class HBaseTestingUtility {
           rowCount++;
         }
       }
+      if (flush) {
+        r.flushcache();
+      }
     }
     return rowCount;
   }
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestSplitTransaction.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestSplitTransaction.java
index 390b422b30f..b9a9e4fd0a9 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestSplitTransaction.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestSplitTransaction.java
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@
  */
 package org.apache.hadoop.hbase.regionserver;
 
-import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
-
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
@@ -32,8 +30,18 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path;
-import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.*;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HBaseTestingUtility;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HColumnDescriptor;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HConstants;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HRegionInfo;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HTableDescriptor;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.KeyValue;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.Server;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.SmallTests;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.io.hfile.CacheConfig;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.io.hfile.HFile;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.Scan;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.io.hfile.LruBlockCache;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.coprocessor.BaseRegionObserver;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.coprocessor.CoprocessorHost;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.coprocessor.ObserverContext;
@@ -49,6 +57,8 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.experimental.categories.Category;
 import org.mockito.Mockito;
 
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
+
 /**
  * Test the {@link SplitTransaction} class against an HRegion (as opposed to
  * running cluster).
@@ -192,12 +202,32 @@ public class TestSplitTransaction {
     assertFalse(st.prepare());
   }
 
+  @Test public void testWholesomeSplitWithHFileV1() throws IOException {
+    int defaultVersion = TEST_UTIL.getConfiguration().getInt(
+        HFile.FORMAT_VERSION_KEY, 2);
+    TEST_UTIL.getConfiguration().setInt(HFile.FORMAT_VERSION_KEY, 1);
+    try {
+      for (Store store : this.parent.stores.values()) {
+        store.getFamily().setBloomFilterType(StoreFile.BloomType.ROW);
+      }
+      testWholesomeSplit();
+    } finally {
+      TEST_UTIL.getConfiguration().setInt(HFile.FORMAT_VERSION_KEY,
+          defaultVersion);
+    }
+  }
+
   @Test public void testWholesomeSplit() throws IOException {
-    final int rowcount = TEST_UTIL.loadRegion(this.parent, CF);
+    final int rowcount = TEST_UTIL.loadRegion(this.parent, CF, true);
     assertTrue(rowcount > 0);
     int parentRowCount = countRows(this.parent);
     assertEquals(rowcount, parentRowCount);
 
+    // Pretend region's blocks are not in the cache, used for
+    // testWholesomeSplitWithHFileV1
+    CacheConfig cacheConf = new CacheConfig(TEST_UTIL.getConfiguration());
+    ((LruBlockCache) cacheConf.getBlockCache()).clearCache();
+
     // Start transaction.
     SplitTransaction st = prepareGOOD_SPLIT_ROW();