diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/FSUtils.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/FSUtils.java
index c89de8ec7fa..75b04daf597 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/FSUtils.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/util/FSUtils.java
@@ -717,7 +717,7 @@ public abstract class FSUtils {
       }
       // If not pb'd, make it so.
       if (!ProtobufUtil.isPBMagicPrefix(content)) {
-        String cid = new String();
+        String cid = null;
         in = fs.open(idPath);
         try {
           cid = in.readUTF();