Index: security/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/SecureClient.java =================================================================== --- security/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/SecureClient.java (revision 80087) +++ security/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ipc/SecureClient.java (working copy) @@ -375,10 +375,16 @@ if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) { LOG.debug("call #"+id+", response is:\n"+value.toString()); } - call.setValue(value); + // it's possible that this call may have been cleaned up due to a RPC + // timeout, so check if it still exists before setting the value. + if (call != null) { + call.setValue(value); + } } else if (state == Status.ERROR.state) { - call.setException(new RemoteException(WritableUtils.readString(in), - WritableUtils.readString(in))); + if (call != null) { + call.setException(new RemoteException(WritableUtils.readString(in), WritableUtils + .readString(in))); + } } else if (state == Status.FATAL.state) { // Close the connection markClosed(new RemoteException(WritableUtils.readString(in),