diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/mob/MobUtils.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/mob/MobUtils.java
index c2c0d8102a4..6377821aa73 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/mob/MobUtils.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/mob/MobUtils.java
@@ -863,7 +863,8 @@ public final class MobUtils {
   public static ExecutorService createMobCompactorThreadPool(Configuration conf) {
     int maxThreads = conf.getInt(MobConstants.MOB_COMPACTION_THREADS_MAX,
         MobConstants.DEFAULT_MOB_COMPACTION_THREADS_MAX);
-    if (maxThreads == 0) {
+    // resets to default mob compaction thread number when the user sets this value incorrectly      
+    if (maxThreads <= 0) {
       maxThreads = 1;
     }
     final SynchronousQueue<Runnable> queue = new SynchronousQueue<>();