diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HStore.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HStore.java
index f20972efff1..220881dca7b 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HStore.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HStore.java
@@ -180,8 +180,9 @@ public class HStore implements Store, HeapSize, StoreConfigInformation, Propagat
 
   private ScanInfo scanInfo;
 
+  // All access must be synchronized.
   // TODO: ideally, this should be part of storeFileManager, as we keep passing this to it.
-  final List<HStoreFile> filesCompacting = Lists.newArrayList();
+  private final List<HStoreFile> filesCompacting = Lists.newArrayList();
 
   // All access must be synchronized.
   private final Set<ChangedReadersObserver> changedReaderObservers =