diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
index 25ef19176f..f14b5f1474 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/CHANGES.txt
@@ -396,6 +396,9 @@ Release 2.7.0 - UNRELEASED
 
     HDFS-7201. Fix typos in hdfs-default.xml. (Dawson Choong via wheat9)
 
+    HDFS-7190. Bad use of Preconditions in startFileInternal().
+    (Dawson Choong via wheat9)
+
 Release 2.6.0 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java
index f3bf8edd4f..580d29189b 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSNamesystem.java
@@ -2679,7 +2679,6 @@ private BlocksMapUpdateInfo startFileInternal(FSPermissionChecker pc,
           edek.getEncryptedKeyVersion().getMaterial(),
           edek.getEncryptedKeyIv(),
           ezKeyName, edek.getEncryptionKeyVersionName());
-      Preconditions.checkNotNull(feInfo);
     }
 
     final INodeFile myFile = INodeFile.valueOf(inode, src, true);