diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/context/PrimaryIndexOperationTracker.java b/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/context/PrimaryIndexOperationTracker.java
index fb001a0..b0d8e02 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/context/PrimaryIndexOperationTracker.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/context/PrimaryIndexOperationTracker.java
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 import org.apache.hyracks.storage.am.lsm.common.impls.LSMComponentId;
 import org.apache.hyracks.storage.common.IModificationOperationCallback;
 import org.apache.hyracks.storage.common.ISearchOperationCallback;
+import org.apache.hyracks.util.ExitUtil;
 import org.apache.hyracks.util.annotations.NotThreadSafe;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
@@ -132,6 +133,11 @@
                     throw new IllegalStateException(
                             "Can't request a flush on an index with active operations: " + numActiveOperations.get());
                 }
+                if (indexes.isEmpty()) {
+                    LOGGER.debug("no open indexes on dataset {} and partition {}... skipping flush",
+                            dsInfo.getDatasetID(), partition);
+                    return;
+                }
                 for (ILSMIndex lsmIndex : indexes) {
                     if (lsmIndex.isPrimaryIndex()) {
                         if (lsmIndex.isCurrentMutableComponentEmpty()) {
@@ -145,8 +151,10 @@
                 }
             }
             if (primaryLsmIndex == null) {
-                throw new IllegalStateException("Primary index not found in dataset " + dsInfo.getDatasetID()
-                        + " and partition " + partition + " open indexes " + indexes);
+                LOGGER.fatal(
+                        "Primary index not found in dataset {} and partition {} open indexes {}; halting to clear memory state",
+                        dsInfo.getDatasetID(), partition, indexes);
+                ExitUtil.halt(ExitUtil.EC_INCONSISTENT_STORAGE_REFERENCES);
             }
             for (ILSMIndex lsmIndex : indexes) {
                 ILSMOperationTracker opTracker = lsmIndex.getOperationTracker();
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-util/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/util/ExitUtil.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-util/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/util/ExitUtil.java
index f4c4183..beabb5d 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-util/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/util/ExitUtil.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-util/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/util/ExitUtil.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     public static final int EC_ACTIVE_RESUME_FAILURE = 18;
     public static final int EC_NC_FAILED_TO_NOTIFY_TASKS_COMPLETED = 19;
     public static final int EC_FAILED_TO_CANCEL_ACTIVE_START_STOP = 22;
+    public static final int EC_INCONSISTENT_STORAGE_REFERENCES = 23;
     public static final int EC_IMMEDIATE_HALT = 33;
     public static final int EC_HALT_ABNORMAL_RESERVED_44 = 44;
     public static final int EC_IO_SCHEDULER_FAILED = 55;