diff --git a/hbase-rsgroup/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/RSGroupInfoManagerImpl.java b/hbase-rsgroup/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/RSGroupInfoManagerImpl.java
index da26ec4499f6..00ce7226054b 100644
--- a/hbase-rsgroup/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/RSGroupInfoManagerImpl.java
+++ b/hbase-rsgroup/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/RSGroupInfoManagerImpl.java
@@ -404,11 +404,14 @@ public void renameRSGroup(String oldName, String newName) throws IOException {
     if (oldName.equals(RSGroupInfo.DEFAULT_GROUP)) {
       throw new ConstraintException("Can't rename default rsgroup");
     }
+    RSGroupInfo oldGroup = getRSGroup(oldName);
+    if (oldGroup == null) {
+      throw new ConstraintException("RSGroup " + oldName + " does not exist");
+    }
     if (rsGroupMap.containsKey(newName)) {
       throw new ConstraintException("Group already exists: " + newName);
     }
 
-    RSGroupInfo oldGroup = getRSGroup(oldName);
     Map<String,RSGroupInfo> newGroupMap = Maps.newHashMap(rsGroupMap);
     newGroupMap.remove(oldName);
     RSGroupInfo newGroup = new RSGroupInfo(newName,
diff --git a/hbase-rsgroup/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/TestRSGroupsAdmin1.java b/hbase-rsgroup/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/TestRSGroupsAdmin1.java
index 8a7da6c95f4a..18611b23b11b 100644
--- a/hbase-rsgroup/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/TestRSGroupsAdmin1.java
+++ b/hbase-rsgroup/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/rsgroup/TestRSGroupsAdmin1.java
@@ -558,6 +558,14 @@ public void testRenameRSGroupConstraints() throws Exception {
     assertNotNull(anotherGroup);
     assertEquals(1, anotherGroup.getServers().size());
 
+    //Rename a non existing RSGroup
+    try {
+      rsGroupAdmin.renameRSGroup("nonExistingRSGroup", "newRSGroup1");
+      fail("ConstraintException was expected.");
+    } catch (ConstraintException e) {
+      assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("does not exist"));
+    }
+
     //Rename to existing group
     try {
       rsGroupAdmin.renameRSGroup(oldGroup.getName(), anotherRSGroupName);