diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/RegionMover.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/RegionMover.java
index 778d66da63d..286caf8ed3b 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/RegionMover.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/RegionMover.java
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
 import java.util.concurrent.CancellationException;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
@@ -284,21 +286,51 @@ public class RegionMover extends AbstractHBaseTool implements Closeable {
    */
   public boolean load() throws ExecutionException, InterruptedException, TimeoutException {
     ExecutorService loadPool = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(1);
-    Future<Boolean> loadTask = loadPool.submit(() -> {
+    Future<Boolean> loadTask = loadPool.submit(getMetaRegionMovePlan());
+    boolean isMetaMoved = waitTaskToFinish(loadPool, loadTask, "loading");
+    if (!isMetaMoved) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    loadPool = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(1);
+    loadTask = loadPool.submit(getNonMetaRegionsMovePlan());
+    return waitTaskToFinish(loadPool, loadTask, "loading");
+  }
+
+  private Callable<Boolean> getMetaRegionMovePlan() {
+    return getRegionsMovePlan(true);
+  }
+
+  private Callable<Boolean> getNonMetaRegionsMovePlan() {
+    return getRegionsMovePlan(false);
+  }
+
+  private Callable<Boolean> getRegionsMovePlan(boolean moveMetaRegion) {
+    return () -> {
       try {
         List<RegionInfo> regionsToMove = readRegionsFromFile(filename);
         if (regionsToMove.isEmpty()) {
           LOG.info("No regions to load.Exiting");
           return true;
         }
-        loadRegions(regionsToMove);
+        Optional<RegionInfo> metaRegion = getMetaRegionInfoIfToBeMoved(regionsToMove);
+        if (moveMetaRegion) {
+          if (metaRegion.isPresent()) {
+            loadRegions(Collections.singletonList(metaRegion.get()));
+          }
+        } else {
+          metaRegion.ifPresent(regionsToMove::remove);
+          loadRegions(regionsToMove);
+        }
       } catch (Exception e) {
         LOG.error("Error while loading regions to " + hostname, e);
         return false;
       }
       return true;
-    });
-    return waitTaskToFinish(loadPool, loadTask, "loading");
+    };
+  }
+
+  private Optional<RegionInfo> getMetaRegionInfoIfToBeMoved(List<RegionInfo> regionsToMove) {
+    return regionsToMove.stream().filter(RegionInfo::isMetaRegion).findFirst();
   }
 
   private void loadRegions(List<RegionInfo> regionsToMove)
@@ -472,30 +504,43 @@ public class RegionMover extends AbstractHBaseTool implements Closeable {
       }
       LOG.info("Moving {} regions from {} to {} servers using {} threads .Ack Mode: {}",
         regionsToMove.size(), this.hostname, regionServers.size(), this.maxthreads, ack);
-      final ExecutorService moveRegionsPool = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(this.maxthreads);
-      List<Future<Boolean>> taskList = new ArrayList<>();
-      int serverIndex = 0;
-      for (RegionInfo regionToMove : regionsToMove) {
-        if (ack) {
-          Future<Boolean> task = moveRegionsPool.submit(
-            new MoveWithAck(conn, regionToMove, server, regionServers.get(serverIndex),
-              movedRegions));
-          taskList.add(task);
-        } else {
-          Future<Boolean> task = moveRegionsPool.submit(
-            new MoveWithoutAck(admin, regionToMove, server, regionServers.get(serverIndex),
-              movedRegions));
-          taskList.add(task);
-        }
-        serverIndex = (serverIndex + 1) % regionServers.size();
+
+      Optional<RegionInfo> metaRegion = getMetaRegionInfoIfToBeMoved(regionsToMove);
+      if (metaRegion.isPresent()) {
+        RegionInfo meta = metaRegion.get();
+        submitRegionMovesWhileUnloading(server, regionServers, movedRegions,
+          Collections.singletonList(meta));
+        regionsToMove.remove(meta);
       }
-      moveRegionsPool.shutdown();
-      long timeoutInSeconds = regionsToMove.size() * admin.getConfiguration()
-          .getLong(MOVE_WAIT_MAX_KEY, DEFAULT_MOVE_WAIT_MAX);
-      waitMoveTasksToFinish(moveRegionsPool, taskList, timeoutInSeconds);
+      submitRegionMovesWhileUnloading(server, regionServers, movedRegions, regionsToMove);
     }
   }
 
+  private void submitRegionMovesWhileUnloading(ServerName server, List<ServerName> regionServers,
+    List<RegionInfo> movedRegions, List<RegionInfo> regionsToMove) throws Exception {
+    final ExecutorService moveRegionsPool = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(this.maxthreads);
+    List<Future<Boolean>> taskList = new ArrayList<>();
+    int serverIndex = 0;
+    for (RegionInfo regionToMove : regionsToMove) {
+      if (ack) {
+        Future<Boolean> task = moveRegionsPool.submit(
+          new MoveWithAck(conn, regionToMove, server, regionServers.get(serverIndex),
+            movedRegions));
+        taskList.add(task);
+      } else {
+        Future<Boolean> task = moveRegionsPool.submit(
+          new MoveWithoutAck(admin, regionToMove, server, regionServers.get(serverIndex),
+            movedRegions));
+        taskList.add(task);
+      }
+      serverIndex = (serverIndex + 1) % regionServers.size();
+    }
+    moveRegionsPool.shutdown();
+    long timeoutInSeconds = regionsToMove.size() * admin.getConfiguration()
+      .getLong(MOVE_WAIT_MAX_KEY, DEFAULT_MOVE_WAIT_MAX);
+    waitMoveTasksToFinish(moveRegionsPool, taskList, timeoutInSeconds);
+  }
+
   private boolean waitTaskToFinish(ExecutorService pool, Future<Boolean> task, String operation)
       throws TimeoutException, InterruptedException, ExecutionException {
     pool.shutdown();