diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/scheduler/AbstractYarnScheduler.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/scheduler/AbstractYarnScheduler.java
index 4ccc30ce39fac..20f2da8446064 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/scheduler/AbstractYarnScheduler.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-resourcemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/resourcemanager/scheduler/AbstractYarnScheduler.java
@@ -757,10 +757,10 @@ private void completeOustandingUpdatesWhichAreReserved(
       RMContainer rmContainer, ContainerStatus containerStatus,
       RMContainerEventType event) {
     N schedulerNode = getSchedulerNode(rmContainer.getNodeId());
-    if (schedulerNode != null &&
-        schedulerNode.getReservedContainer() != null) {
+    if (schedulerNode != null) {
       RMContainer resContainer = schedulerNode.getReservedContainer();
-      if (resContainer.getReservedSchedulerKey() != null) {
+      if (resContainer != null
+          && resContainer.getReservedSchedulerKey() != null) {
         ContainerId containerToUpdate = resContainer
             .getReservedSchedulerKey().getContainerToUpdate();
         if (containerToUpdate != null &&