diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/FastPathBalancedQueueRpcExecutor.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/FastPathBalancedQueueRpcExecutor.java
index d9f9797282e..1db5408841e 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/FastPathBalancedQueueRpcExecutor.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/FastPathBalancedQueueRpcExecutor.java
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@ public class FastPathBalancedQueueRpcExecutor extends BalancedQueueRpcExecutor {
 
   @Override
   public boolean dispatch(CallRunner callTask) throws InterruptedException {
+    //FastPathHandlers don't check queue limits, so if we're completely shut down
+    //we have to prevent ourselves from using the handler in the first place
+    if (currentQueueLimit == 0){
+      return false;
+    }
     FastPathHandler handler = popReadyHandler();
     return handler != null? handler.loadCallRunner(callTask): super.dispatch(callTask);
   }
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/TestSimpleRpcScheduler.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/TestSimpleRpcScheduler.java
index 172457de9af..dee9c65b4eb 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/TestSimpleRpcScheduler.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/TestSimpleRpcScheduler.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.BlockingQueue;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.LinkedBlockingQueue;
 import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.Abortable;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HBaseClassTestRule;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HBaseConfiguration;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HConstants;
@@ -53,8 +54,11 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.EnvironmentEdgeManager;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.Threads;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.ClassRule;
+import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.experimental.categories.Category;
+import org.junit.rules.TestName;
+import org.mockito.Mockito;
 import org.mockito.invocation.InvocationOnMock;
 import org.mockito.stubbing.Answer;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -75,6 +79,9 @@ public class TestSimpleRpcScheduler {
   public static final HBaseClassTestRule CLASS_RULE =
       HBaseClassTestRule.forClass(TestSimpleRpcScheduler.class);
 
+  @Rule
+  public TestName testName = new TestName();
+
   private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(TestSimpleRpcScheduler.class);
 
   private final RpcScheduler.Context CONTEXT = new RpcScheduler.Context() {
@@ -560,6 +567,25 @@ public class TestSimpleRpcScheduler {
     }
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testFastPathBalancedQueueRpcExecutorWithQueueLength0() throws Exception {
+    String name = testName.getMethodName();
+    int handlerCount = 1;
+    String callQueueType = RpcExecutor.CALL_QUEUE_TYPE_CODEL_CONF_VALUE;
+    int maxQueueLength = 0;
+    PriorityFunction priority = mock(PriorityFunction.class);
+    Configuration conf = HBaseConfiguration.create();
+    Abortable abortable = mock(Abortable.class);
+    FastPathBalancedQueueRpcExecutor executor =
+      Mockito.spy(new FastPathBalancedQueueRpcExecutor(name,
+      handlerCount, callQueueType, maxQueueLength, priority, conf, abortable));
+    CallRunner task = mock(CallRunner.class);
+    assertFalse(executor.dispatch(task));
+    //make sure we never internally get a handler, which would skip the queue validation
+    Mockito.verify(executor, Mockito.never()).getHandler(Mockito.any(), Mockito.anyDouble(),
+      Mockito.any(), Mockito.any());
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testMetaRWScanQueues() throws Exception {
     Configuration schedConf = HBaseConfiguration.create();