diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java
index 82b4cfcc9b68b..02a6b03b943a9 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorImpl.java
@@ -622,9 +622,11 @@ public void asyncReadEntries(int numberOfEntriesToRead, long maxSizeBytes, ReadE
 
         int numOfEntriesToRead = applyMaxSizeCap(numberOfEntriesToRead, maxSizeBytes);
 
-        PENDING_READ_OPS_UPDATER.incrementAndGet(this);
         OpReadEntry op = OpReadEntry.create(this, readPosition, numOfEntriesToRead, callback, ctx, maxPosition);
-        ledger.asyncReadEntries(op);
+        if (op != null) {
+            PENDING_READ_OPS_UPDATER.incrementAndGet(this);
+            ledger.asyncReadEntries(op);
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -762,6 +764,9 @@ public void asyncReadEntriesOrWait(int maxEntries, long maxSizeBytes, ReadEntrie
         } else {
             OpReadEntry op = OpReadEntry.create(this, readPosition, numberOfEntriesToRead, callback,
                     ctx, maxPosition);
+            if (op == null) {
+                return;
+            }
 
             if (!WAITING_READ_OP_UPDATER.compareAndSet(this, null, op)) {
                 callback.readEntriesFailed(new ManagedLedgerException("We can only have a single waiting callback"),
diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedLedgerImpl.java b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedLedgerImpl.java
index 0823886e0bdbb..db494a03f1329 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedLedgerImpl.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedLedgerImpl.java
@@ -2141,6 +2141,7 @@ PositionImpl startReadOperationOnLedger(PositionImpl position, OpReadEntry opRea
         if (null == ledgerId) {
             opReadEntry.readEntriesFailed(new ManagedLedgerException.NoMoreEntriesToReadException("The ceilingKey(K key) method is used to return the " +
                     "least key greater than or equal to the given key, or null if there is no such key"), null);
+            return null;
         }
 
         if (ledgerId != position.getLedgerId()) {
diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/OpReadEntry.java b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/OpReadEntry.java
index 91a6e26f567d0..78cf0d01390f9 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/OpReadEntry.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/OpReadEntry.java
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ class OpReadEntry implements ReadEntriesCallback {
     public static OpReadEntry create(ManagedCursorImpl cursor, PositionImpl readPositionRef, int count,
             ReadEntriesCallback callback, Object ctx, PositionImpl maxPosition) {
         OpReadEntry op = RECYCLER.get();
-        op.readPosition = cursor.ledger.startReadOperationOnLedger(readPositionRef, op);
         op.cursor = cursor;
         op.count = count;
         op.callback = callback;
@@ -58,6 +57,11 @@ public static OpReadEntry create(ManagedCursorImpl cursor, PositionImpl readPosi
         }
         op.maxPosition = maxPosition;
         op.ctx = ctx;
+        PositionImpl position = cursor.ledger.startReadOperationOnLedger(readPositionRef, op);
+        if (position == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        op.readPosition = position;
         op.nextReadPosition = PositionImpl.get(op.readPosition);
         return op;
     }