diff --git a/src/kudu/tablet/tablet-test.cc b/src/kudu/tablet/tablet-test.cc
index 27a0724b42..a42d268fd9 100644
--- a/src/kudu/tablet/tablet-test.cc
+++ b/src/kudu/tablet/tablet-test.cc
@@ -901,6 +901,24 @@ TYPED_TEST(TestTablet, TestCompaction) {
   }
 }
 
+TYPED_TEST(TestTablet, TestCountLiveRowsAfterShutdown) {
+  // Insert 1000 rows into memrowset
+  uint64_t max_rows = this->ClampRowCount(FLAGS_testflush_num_inserts);
+  this->InsertTestRows(0, max_rows, 0);
+  ASSERT_OK(this->tablet()->Flush());
+  NO_FATALS(this->CheckLiveRowsCount(max_rows));
+
+  // Save the tablet's reference.
+  std::shared_ptr<Tablet> tablet = this->tablet();
+
+  // Shutdown the tablet.
+  NO_FATALS(this->tablet()->Shutdown());
+
+  // Call the CountLiveRows().
+  int64_t count = 0;
+  ASSERT_TRUE(tablet->CountLiveRows(&count).IsRuntimeError());
+}
+
 enum MutationType {
   MRS_MUTATION,
   DELTA_MUTATION,
diff --git a/src/kudu/tablet/tablet.cc b/src/kudu/tablet/tablet.cc
index 04e312cfee..c6489b5225 100644
--- a/src/kudu/tablet/tablet.cc
+++ b/src/kudu/tablet/tablet.cc
@@ -1923,6 +1923,9 @@ Status Tablet::CountLiveRows(int64_t* count) const {
 
   scoped_refptr<TabletComponents> comps;
   GetComponents(&comps);
+  if (!comps) {
+    return Status::RuntimeError("The tablet has been shut down");
+  }
 
   int64_t ret = 0;
   int64_t tmp = 0;