diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty/NettyHttpServerTransport.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty/NettyHttpServerTransport.java
index 81c5e1310ac..5888596052c 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty/NettyHttpServerTransport.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty/NettyHttpServerTransport.java
@@ -257,7 +257,8 @@ public class NettyHttpServerTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<HttpSer
     }
 
     @Override public HttpStats stats() {
-        return new HttpStats(serverOpenChannels.numberOfOpenChannels());
+        OpenChannelsHandler channels = serverOpenChannels;
+        return new HttpStats(channels == null ? 0 : channels.numberOfOpenChannels());
     }
 
     void dispatchRequest(HttpRequest request, HttpChannel channel) {
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
index 0bda582ee3f..4a6df1e4a5f 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
@@ -443,7 +443,8 @@ public class NettyTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Transport> implem
     }
 
     @Override public TransportStats stats() {
-        return new TransportStats(serverOpenChannels.numberOfOpenChannels());
+        OpenChannelsHandler channels = serverOpenChannels;
+        return new TransportStats(channels == null ? 0 : channels.numberOfOpenChannels());
     }
 
     @Override public <T extends Streamable> void sendRequest(final DiscoveryNode node, final long requestId, final String action, final Streamable message, TransportRequestOptions options) throws IOException, TransportException {