diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystemLock.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystemLock.java
index e510bd625e738..bdf7f68343b68 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystemLock.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystemLock.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 import org.apache.hadoop.ipc.Server;
 import org.apache.hadoop.log.LogThrottlingHelper;
 import org.apache.hadoop.metrics2.lib.MutableRatesWithAggregation;
+import org.apache.hadoop.util.Preconditions;
 import org.apache.hadoop.util.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.hadoop.util.Time;
 import org.apache.hadoop.util.Timer;
@@ -160,6 +161,10 @@ public Long initialValue() {
     FSNamesystem.LOG.info("Detailed lock hold time metrics enabled: " +
         this.metricsEnabled);
     this.detailedHoldTimeMetrics = detailedHoldTimeMetrics;
+    if (metricsEnabled) {
+        Preconditions.checkArgument(detailedHoldTimeMetrics != null, 
+            "Detailed lock hold time metrics enabled, detailed hold time metric should not be null!");
+    }
   }
 
   public void readLock() {