diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/TestTableLockManager.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/TestTableLockManager.java
index adc1d6177c3..c0533de51f3 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/TestTableLockManager.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/TestTableLockManager.java
@@ -19,16 +19,14 @@
  */
 package org.apache.hadoop.hbase.master;
 
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Random;
-import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
@@ -46,12 +44,13 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HRegionInfo;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HTableDescriptor;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.LargeTests;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.ServerName;
-import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.exceptions.LockTimeoutException;
-import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.exceptions.TableNotDisabledException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.HBaseAdmin;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.coprocessor.BaseMasterObserver;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.coprocessor.MasterCoprocessorEnvironment;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.coprocessor.ObserverContext;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.exceptions.LockTimeoutException;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.exceptions.NotServingRegionException;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.exceptions.TableNotDisabledException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.regionserver.HRegion;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.Bytes;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.LoadTestTool;
@@ -360,6 +359,9 @@ public class TestTableLockManager {
           admin.flush(regionName);
           admin.compact(regionName);
           admin.split(regionName);
+        } catch (NotServingRegionException nsre) {
+          // the region may be in transition
+          LOG.warn("Caught exception", nsre);
         } catch (Exception ex) {
           LOG.warn("Caught exception", ex);
           fail(ex.getMessage());