Index: src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HStoreScanner.java =================================================================== --- src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HStoreScanner.java (revision 730806) +++ src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HStoreScanner.java (working copy) @@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ try { MapFile.Reader [] readers = this.store.getReaders(); if (this.scanners[HSFS_INDEX] == null && readers != null && - readers.length > 0) { + readers.length > 0 && this.keys[MEMS_INDEX] != null) { // Presume that we went from no readers to at least one -- need to put // a HStoreScanner in place. try {