diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/RegionStates.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/RegionStates.java
index 09d5190168a..4125eeaadd6 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/RegionStates.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/master/RegionStates.java
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ public class RegionStates {
             LOG.info("Found region in " + state +
               " to be reassigned by ServerCrashProcedure for " + sn);
             rits.add(hri);
-          } else if (isOneOfStates(state, State.SPLITTING_NEW)) {
+          } else if (isOneOfStates(state, State.SPLITTING_NEW, State.MERGING_NEW)) {
             regionsToCleanIfNoMetaEntry.add(state.getRegion());
           } else {
             LOG.warn("THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN: unexpected " + state);