diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/FSHLog.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/FSHLog.java
index d7839bdab96..4d0ab78cad5 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/FSHLog.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/FSHLog.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import java.net.URLEncoder;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -50,13 +49,12 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileStatus;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Syncable;
-import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.TableName;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HBaseConfiguration;
 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.regionserver.RegionCoprocessorHost;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.TableName;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.Bytes;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.ClassSize;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.DrainBarrier;
@@ -499,6 +497,10 @@ class FSHLog implements HLog, Syncable {
         }
         this.filenum = System.currentTimeMillis();
         Path newPath = computeFilename();
+        while (fs.exists(newPath)) {
+          this.filenum++;
+          newPath = computeFilename();
+        }
 
         // Tell our listeners that a new log is about to be created
         if (!this.listeners.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/TestHLog.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/TestHLog.java
index e295a42ccd9..0654752c654 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/TestHLog.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/wal/TestHLog.java
@@ -711,6 +711,24 @@ public class TestHLog  {
     }
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testFailedToCreateHLogIfParentRenamed() throws IOException {
+    FSHLog log = (FSHLog)HLogFactory.createHLog(
+      fs, hbaseDir, "testFailedToCreateHLogIfParentRenamed", conf);
+    long filenum = System.currentTimeMillis();
+    Path path = log.computeFilename(filenum);
+    HLogFactory.createWALWriter(fs, path, conf);
+    Path parent = path.getParent();
+    path = log.computeFilename(filenum + 1);
+    Path newPath = new Path(parent.getParent(), parent.getName() + "-splitting");
+    fs.rename(parent, newPath);
+    try {
+      HLogFactory.createWALWriter(fs, path, conf);
+      fail("It should fail to create the new WAL");
+    } catch (IOException ioe) {
+      // expected, good.
+    }
+  }
 
   @Test
   public void testGetServerNameFromHLogDirectoryName() throws IOException {