diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/HTable.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/HTable.java
index c56132c2bb2..dd11abff847 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/HTable.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/HTable.java
@@ -163,6 +163,9 @@ public class HTable implements Table {
     if (connection == null || connection.isClosed()) {
       throw new IllegalArgumentException("Connection is null or closed.");
     }
+    if (tableName == null) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("Given table name is null");
+    }
     this.tableName = tableName;
     this.cleanupConnectionOnClose = false;
     this.connection = connection;
diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/RegionServerCallable.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/RegionServerCallable.java
index b97743f5160..96434f977c7 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/RegionServerCallable.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/RegionServerCallable.java
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ public abstract class RegionServerCallable<T, S> implements RetryingCallable<T>
       RpcController rpcController) {
     super();
     this.connection = connection;
+    if (tableName == null) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("Given tableName is null");
+    }
     this.tableName = tableName;
     this.row = row;
     this.rpcController = rpcController;