diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegion.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegion.java
index cd8bafa3104..58755cdfb00 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegion.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegion.java
@@ -4827,7 +4827,13 @@ public class HRegion implements HeapSize { // , Writable{
             if (idx < results.size() &&
                 results.get(idx).matchingQualifier(column.getKey())) {
               KeyValue kv = results.get(idx);
-              amount += Bytes.toLong(kv.getBuffer(), kv.getValueOffset(), kv.getValueLength());
+              if(kv.getValueLength() == Bytes.SIZEOF_LONG) {
+                amount += Bytes.toLong(kv.getBuffer(), kv.getValueOffset(), Bytes.SIZEOF_LONG);
+              } else {
+                // throw DoNotRetryIOException instead of IllegalArgumentException
+                throw new DoNotRetryIOException(
+                    "Attempted to increment field that isn't 64 bits wide");
+              }
               idx++;
             }
 
@@ -4876,11 +4882,10 @@ public class HRegion implements HeapSize { // , Writable{
       }
     } finally {
       closeRegionOperation();
+      long after = EnvironmentEdgeManager.currentTimeMillis();
+      this.opMetrics.updateIncrementMetrics(increment.getFamilyMap().keySet(), after - before);
     }
 
-    long after = EnvironmentEdgeManager.currentTimeMillis();
-    this.opMetrics.updateIncrementMetrics(increment.getFamilyMap().keySet(), after - before);
-
     if (flush) {
       // Request a cache flush.  Do it outside update lock.
       requestFlush();
@@ -4930,7 +4935,7 @@ public class HRegion implements HeapSize { // , Writable{
 
         if (!results.isEmpty()) {
           KeyValue kv = results.get(0);
-          if(kv.getValueLength() == 8){
+          if(kv.getValueLength() == Bytes.SIZEOF_LONG){
             byte [] buffer = kv.getBuffer();
             int valueOffset = kv.getValueOffset();
             result += Bytes.toLong(buffer, valueOffset, Bytes.SIZEOF_LONG);
@@ -4986,7 +4991,7 @@ public class HRegion implements HeapSize { // , Writable{
       requestFlush();
     }
     if (wrongLength) {
-      throw new IOException(
+      throw new DoNotRetryIOException(
           "Attempted to increment field that isn't 64 bits wide");
     }
     return result;
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestFromClientSide.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestFromClientSide.java
index b8e1a48e820..e7faac64212 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestFromClientSide.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/TestFromClientSide.java
@@ -4230,7 +4230,7 @@ public class TestFromClientSide {
  
   @Test
   public void testIncrementWithDeletes() throws Exception {
-    LOG.info("Starting testIncrement");
+    LOG.info("Starting testIncrementWithDeletes");
     final byte [] TABLENAME = Bytes.toBytes("testIncrementWithDeletes");
     HTable ht = TEST_UTIL.createTable(TABLENAME, FAMILY);
     final byte[] COLUMN = Bytes.toBytes("column");
@@ -4249,6 +4249,32 @@ public class TestFromClientSide {
     assertEquals(5, Bytes.toLong(r.getValue(FAMILY, COLUMN)));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testIncrementingInvalidValue() throws Exception {
+    LOG.info("Starting testIncrementingInvalidValue");
+    final byte [] TABLENAME = Bytes.toBytes("testIncrementingInvalidValue");
+    HTable ht = TEST_UTIL.createTable(TABLENAME, FAMILY);
+    final byte[] COLUMN = Bytes.toBytes("column");
+    Put p = new Put(ROW);
+    // write an integer here (not a Long)
+    p.add(FAMILY, COLUMN, Bytes.toBytes(5));
+    ht.put(p);
+    try {
+      ht.incrementColumnValue(ROW, FAMILY, COLUMN, 5);
+      fail("Should have thrown DoNotRetryIOException");
+    } catch (DoNotRetryIOException iox) {
+      // success
+    }
+    Increment inc = new Increment(ROW);
+    inc.addColumn(FAMILY, COLUMN, 5);
+    try {
+      ht.increment(inc);
+      fail("Should have thrown DoNotRetryIOException");
+    } catch (DoNotRetryIOException iox) {
+      // success
+    }
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testIncrement() throws Exception {
     LOG.info("Starting testIncrement");