diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/Lists.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/Lists.java
index a9d0756e8e381..bf64267c6c11e 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/Lists.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/Lists.java
@@ -247,13 +247,13 @@ private static <T> Collection<T> cast(Iterable<T> iterable) {
    */
   private static <T> boolean addAll(Collection<T> addTo,
       Iterable<? extends T> elementsToAdd) {
+    if (addTo == null || elementsToAdd == null) {
+      throw new NullPointerException();
+    }
     if (elementsToAdd instanceof Collection) {
       Collection<? extends T> c = cast(elementsToAdd);
       return addTo.addAll(c);
     }
-    if (elementsToAdd == null) {
-      throw new NullPointerException();
-    }
     return addAll(addTo, elementsToAdd.iterator());
   }
 
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/Sets.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/Sets.java
index 8867900d0b692..23569bbb46cd8 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/Sets.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/util/Sets.java
@@ -160,13 +160,13 @@ public static <E extends Comparable> TreeSet<E> newTreeSet(
 
   private static <E extends Comparable> boolean addAll(TreeSet<E> addTo,
       Iterable<? extends E> elementsToAdd) {
+    if (addTo == null || elementsToAdd == null) {
+      throw new NullPointerException();
+    }
     if (elementsToAdd instanceof Collection) {
       Collection<? extends E> c = cast(elementsToAdd);
       return addTo.addAll(c);
     }
-    if (elementsToAdd == null) {
-      throw new NullPointerException();
-    }
     return addAll(addTo, elementsToAdd.iterator());
   }