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 64efa85e4c98a..57c4e62b33250 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
@@ -652,7 +652,15 @@ public boolean hasMoreEntries() {
 
     @Override
     public long getNumberOfEntries() {
-        return getNumberOfEntries(Range.closedOpen(readPosition, ledger.getLastPosition().getNext()));
+        if (readPosition.compareTo(ledger.getLastPosition().getNext()) > 0) {
+            if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
+                log.debug("[{}] [{}] Read position {} is ahead of last position {}. There are no entries to read",
+                        ledger.getName(), name, readPosition, ledger.getLastPosition());
+            }
+            return 0;
+        } else {
+            return getNumberOfEntries(Range.closedOpen(readPosition, ledger.getLastPosition().getNext()));
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorTest.java b/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorTest.java
index 77d6c6c67669c..d8c48ded3b448 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorTest.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/ManagedCursorTest.java
@@ -2759,6 +2759,7 @@ public Object answer(InvocationOnMock invocation) {
             public void operationComplete() {
                 assertEquals(cursor.getMarkDeletedPosition(), lastPosition);
                 assertEquals(cursor.getReadPosition(), nextPosition);
+                assertEquals(cursor.getNumberOfEntries(), 0L);
             }
 
             @Override