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 b7e21e42166..5cd27b86e97 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
@@ -5736,6 +5736,10 @@ public class HRegion implements HeapSize, PropagatingConfigurationObserver, Regi
           seqId = ((FlushResultImpl)fs).flushSequenceId;
         } else if (fs.getResult() == FlushResult.Result.CANNOT_FLUSH_MEMSTORE_EMPTY) {
           seqId = ((FlushResultImpl)fs).flushSequenceId;
+        } else if (fs.getResult() == FlushResult.Result.CANNOT_FLUSH) {
+          // CANNOT_FLUSH may mean that a flush is already on-going
+          // we need to wait for that flush to complete
+          waitForFlushes();
         } else {
           throw new IOException("Could not bulk load with an assigned sequential ID because the "+
             "flush didn't run. Reason for not flushing: " + ((FlushResultImpl)fs).failureReason);