diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/zookeeper/ZKUtil.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/zookeeper/ZKUtil.java
index 037e354b7e2..ba064668e39 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/zookeeper/ZKUtil.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/zookeeper/ZKUtil.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import java.io.PrintWriter;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.net.Socket;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
@@ -35,17 +36,19 @@ import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.apache.hadoop.classification.InterfaceAudience;
 import org.apache.hadoop.classification.InterfaceStability;
 import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
-import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.*;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.EmptyWatcher;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HConstants;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.ServerName;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.executor.RegionTransitionData;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.Bytes;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.Threads;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.AsyncCallback;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.CreateMode;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.KeeperException;
-import org.apache.zookeeper.KeeperException.NoNodeException;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.Watcher;
-import org.apache.zookeeper.ZooDefs.Ids;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.ZooKeeper;
+import org.apache.zookeeper.KeeperException.NoNodeException;
+import org.apache.zookeeper.ZooDefs.Ids;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.data.ACL;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.data.Stat;
 
@@ -596,11 +599,13 @@ public class ZKUtil {
       ZooKeeperWatcher zkw, String baseNode) throws KeeperException {
     List<String> nodes =
       ZKUtil.listChildrenAndWatchForNewChildren(zkw, baseNode);
-    List<NodeAndData> newNodes = new ArrayList<NodeAndData>();
-    for (String node: nodes) {
-      String nodePath = ZKUtil.joinZNode(baseNode, node);
-      byte [] data = ZKUtil.getDataAndWatch(zkw, nodePath);
-      newNodes.add(new NodeAndData(nodePath, data));
+    List<NodeAndData> newNodes = Collections.emptyList();
+    if (nodes != null) {
+      for (String node : nodes) {
+        String nodePath = ZKUtil.joinZNode(baseNode, node);
+        byte[] data = ZKUtil.getDataAndWatch(zkw, nodePath);
+        newNodes.add(new NodeAndData(nodePath, data));
+      }
     }
     return newNodes;
   }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestZooKeeper.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestZooKeeper.java
index 27b858b735c..d4f76e96058 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestZooKeeper.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/TestZooKeeper.java
@@ -342,6 +342,18 @@ public class TestZooKeeper {
 
     ZKUtil.createAndFailSilent(zk2, aclZnode);
  }
+  
+  @Test
+  /**
+   * Test should not fail with NPE when getChildDataAndWatchForNewChildren
+   * invoked with wrongNode
+   */
+  public void testGetChildDataAndWatchForNewChildrenShouldNotThrowNPE()
+      throws Exception {
+    ZooKeeperWatcher zkw = new ZooKeeperWatcher(TEST_UTIL.getConfiguration(),
+        "testGetChildDataAndWatchForNewChildrenShouldNotThrowNPE", null);
+    ZKUtil.getChildDataAndWatchForNewChildren(zkw, "/wrongNode");
+  }
 
   @org.junit.Rule
   public org.apache.hadoop.hbase.ResourceCheckerJUnitRule cu =