diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsDirectory.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsDirectory.java
index 584cf2d5dde..cc1133e930b 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsDirectory.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsDirectory.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FSDataInputStream;
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileAlreadyExistsException;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileContext;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileStatus;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem;
@@ -111,7 +112,13 @@ public class HdfsDirectory extends BaseDirectory {
   
   @Override
   public IndexOutput createOutput(String name, IOContext context) throws IOException {
-    return new HdfsFileWriter(getFileSystem(), new Path(hdfsDirPath, name), name);
+    try {
+      return new HdfsFileWriter(getFileSystem(), new Path(hdfsDirPath, name), name);
+    } catch (FileAlreadyExistsException e) {
+      java.nio.file.FileAlreadyExistsException ex = new java.nio.file.FileAlreadyExistsException(e.getMessage());
+      ex.initCause(e);
+      throw ex;
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsFileWriter.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsFileWriter.java
index fda1b3e6422..4099d958e6c 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsFileWriter.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsFileWriter.java
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ public class HdfsFileWriter extends OutputStreamIndexOutput {
     Configuration conf = fileSystem.getConf();
     FsServerDefaults fsDefaults = fileSystem.getServerDefaults(path);
     short replication = fileSystem.getDefaultReplication(path);
-    EnumSet<CreateFlag> flags = EnumSet.of(CreateFlag.CREATE,
-        CreateFlag.OVERWRITE);
+    EnumSet<CreateFlag> flags = EnumSet.of(CreateFlag.CREATE);
     if (Boolean.getBoolean(HDFS_SYNC_BLOCK)) {
       flags.add(CreateFlag.SYNC_BLOCK);
     }
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsDirectoryTest.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsDirectoryTest.java
index 12269262a3f..474983da6fd 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsDirectoryTest.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/store/hdfs/HdfsDirectoryTest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.apache.solr.store.hdfs;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.file.FileAlreadyExistsException;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Random;
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -231,4 +232,12 @@ public class HdfsDirectoryTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     return Long.toString(Math.abs(random.nextLong()));
   }
 
+  public void testCantOverrideFiles() throws IOException {
+    try (IndexOutput out = directory.createOutput("foo", IOContext.DEFAULT)) {
+      out.writeByte((byte) 42);
+    }
+    expectThrows(FileAlreadyExistsException.class,
+        () -> directory.createOutput("foo", IOContext.DEFAULT));
+  }
+
 }